Gov't temporarily suspends bookings for passport collection

The Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) has temporarily suspended the booking requirement for passport collection in a move aimed at fast-tracking the processing of applications.

In a statement on Friday, the Department said that applicants no longer need to book appointments to pick up their passports.

Immigrations Principal Secretary Julius Bitok urged applicants whose names appear on the provided list to collect their passports directly from the stations where they originally submitted their applications.

According to the PS, at least 65,589 passports are awaiting collection across various immigration centres in Kenya, with the highest number left unclaimed being in Nairobi with 30,916 uncollected passports.

Other offices include Mombasa with 6,757 uncollected passports, Embu 6,608, Kisii 6,130, Eldoret 6,022 uncollected passports and Kisumu 5,146 passports.

Nakuru has 3,485 uncollected passports, both Kericho and Bungoma have few uncollected passports with Kericho having 354 and Bungoma 171 uncollected passports.

The PS said the department has reformed its operations and invested in strategic resources to enhance efficiency.

According to Bitok, the decision is part of the Directorate’s ongoing efforts to clear the backlog of unprinted passports, which has been a persistent challenge due to the high demand for services.

“The DIS has temporarily suspended booking as a requirement for collecting passports to hasten the process. The DIS has provided mechanisms to promote transparency, facilitate self-tracking, and provide prompt feedback,” read the statement by Bitok in part.

Additionally, Bitok said that by removing the need for an appointment to collect passports, DIS hopes to ease the strain on applicants and ensure a smoother, faster experience.

Previously, once an application had been processed and the passport printed, applicants would receive a notification and could proceed directly to the collection desk at their original application location.

At the same time, the PS announced a raft of new measures taken to address the increasing demand for passports including the procurement of advanced printing technology and the addition of more staff to streamline operations.

The reforms have targeted speeding up the issuance of passports and other services through various interventions.

The interventions include the expansion of passport issuance capacity by investing in advanced printers and employing more staff to meet the ever-growing demand for services.

"It has also remodelled the passport collection stations to provide more service counters and a friendlier environment. These interventions have effectively supported the clearance of the historical backlog of unprinted passports," Bitok said.

He further noted that the Government is also planning to expand regional offices in some parts of the country which will help reduce pressure at the Nyayo House headquarters.

Additional offices will be opened in Garissa, Nyeri and Machakos, he said.

To support the travel requirements for Kenyans seeking job opportunities outside the country, the PS said the Immigration Department has set up dedicated Migrant labour counters to fast-track passport applications.

He said all prescribed fees for passport and other services have been listed on their official website and that no one should pay bribes or offer any other inducement to obtain services.

Recent years have seen various initiatives leveraging technology to enhance service delivery and reduce bureaucratic hurdles with the eCitizen platform playing a crucial role in digitizing government services.

These measures aim to ensure that services are not only efficient but also accessible to all Kenyans, regardless of their location.