Kenya Immigration Department Announces Downtime In Passport Application

• In April 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki announced a reduction in passport backlog
• Kindiki revealed this after the government received new passport printers and booklets to help clear the delays
• However, on Tuesday, April 30, the Immigration Services Department announced a breakdown of the passport application system, leading to further delays

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenyans seeking passport services will have to wait for a while before accessing them.

This follows an announcement by the Immigration Services Department over the collapse of its systems.

Which passport services are affected?

In a notice posted on its X platform account, the department said it experienced downtime in passport application and collection services.

"We regret to inform our clients that we are currently experiencing a downtime that has affected our normal passport application receiving and collection services," read the tweet in part.

The Immigration office assured Kenyans that they are resolving the issue for immediate resumption of services, apologising for the inconvenience.

It said it would communicate alternative dates for the affected applicants within the shortest time possible.

Is government reducing passport backlog in Kenya?

This came a month after the department received passport booklets in March 2024 to speed up the application process.

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the government has procured new passport printers to help reduce the backlog.

"We've received printing booklets, a pivotal step in enhancing service delivery within the immigration department. With two new printers set to arrive by the end of this month and over 1 million booklets procured, expected to arrive soon," said Bitok.

Bitok noted that the procurement of new passport booklets and printers will ensure a smoother and faster process, ensuring that all applicants receive their passports within a maximum of 21 days.

What is the passport backlog in Kenya?

Early in April 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki said that Kenyans will take a short period of time to receive their passports.

Kindiki noted that the public servants extorting money from Kenyans in need of passports have been arrested.

The CS stated that the backlog of passports has reduced from 724,000 on March 11 to 50,000.

Proofreading by Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke