In a move to enhance passport issuance, the Immigration Department has received an additional 100,000 passport printing booklets. Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok announced the delivery, stating that it will ensure timely and efficient passport production.
“This evening, together with DG Immigration Services Evelyn Cheluget and other senior staff, we received a delivery of 100,000 passport booklets that will facilitate timely, efficient, and continuous passport production,” Bitok said.
This latest shipment follows the arrival of 112,700 passport booklets in March, which had already helped alleviate delays in passport processing for many Kenyans.
The ongoing challenges in passport issuance have drawn criticism from the public and government officials alike.
In February, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki acknowledged the frustrations faced by Kenyans due to delays in obtaining passports, which have resulted in lost job opportunities and restricted travel for essential purposes.
“The prevailing state of affairs is inexcusable, considering that it is the right of every Kenyan to acquire citizenship documents, including travel documents,” Kindiki stated. He took responsibility for the slow pace of reforms and the systemic inefficiencies affecting the process.
With the new booklets now in hand, the Immigration Department is poised to improve service delivery and meet the growing demand for passports, providing hope to many Kenyans awaiting their travel documents.
