Interior CS Prof Kithure Kindiki has disclosed that Kenya has significantly enhanced its passport production capacity, now capable of producing over 10,000 passports within a 24-hour period, doubling the previous daily output of around 5,000 passports.
CS Kindiki attributed this remarkable increase to the acquisition of two new high-speed printers, each capable of producing 300 passports per hour. With both printers operational, the Immigration Department can now generate up to 600 passports per hour, amounting to 4,800 passports in an eight-hour workday and potentially reaching 14,000 passports if the machines operate continuously for 24 hours.
This development comes as a relief to the multitude of Kenyan passport applicants, addressing the backlog issues that have plagued the system in recent years. CS Kindiki emphasized ongoing reforms aimed at reducing passport processing times, with a commitment to streamline the application process.
Moreover, the CS highlighted significant progress in resolving past delays, stating, “The Government has facilitated the acquisition of adequate passport printing equipment, paid all the pending supplier bills, and addressed the supply chain constraints.” Notably, the backlog of 724,000 passports as of March 11 has been substantially reduced to less than 50,000, marking a significant milestone in improving passport issuance efficiency.
