Govt Issues New Guidelines For Passport Applications
- by KIOKO NYAMASYO on Monday, 7 August 2023 - 12:05 pm
The Ministry of Interior has released new guidelines on critical services including promising to reduce the number of days for processing passports.
In a new schedule seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the Interior Ministry has promised to process all passports within five working days after submitting applications.
In revising the passport waiting time, the Kithure Kindiki-led ministry stated, “We, believe that responses from Kenyans are the basic ingredients for effective and efficient service delivery.”
Currently, applications are delayed with some Kenyans claiming their documents have taken over six months to process, blocking some from traveling abroad to receive treatment or for education.
A photo collage of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki speaking at a church event on May 28, 2023(left) and a woman holding a Kenyan passport in her hand(right).
This is not the first time the government has promised to fast-track the processing of passports, in June the ministry announced they were importing a new printing machine to clear the backlog.
The same month, the government promised to process the key travel document within a week, including all the backlogs that go back to last year.
Two months later, the passport issues have persisted with long queues and major delays experienced by applicants.
Some applicants on social media have claimed they have been asked for bribes and out of desperation paid amounts between Ksh5,000 to Ksh15,000 to individuals who pose as State employees.
Delay in the processing of passports has been blamed on corruption at the Department of Immigration and the breaking down of the printing machines.
The department has been appealing to applicants who urgently need the document to contact their offices and provide proof of urgency.
However, applicants have claimed on social media platforms that their attempts to have applications expedited have been met with obstacles, including inactive phone lines to reach immigration officials.
In the revised service charter from the Interior Ministry, the docket has further announced that foreigners will receive visas within 48 hours after making an online application.
