Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced a series of measures aimed at streamlining the passport issuance system.
After years of frustrating delays in the processing of Kenyan passports, the CS in a statement noted that his ministry had resolved the historical backlog.
He detailed a series of measures aimed at addressing the challenges that had plagued the Immigration services department.
Kindiki on New Government Directives
“The government’s efforts focused on acquiring adequate passport printing equipment, settling all pending supplier bills, and tackling supply chain constraints,” Kindiki explained.
“As a result, the backlog of pending passports, which had reached 724,000 by March 11, 2024, has been effectively cleared.”
Additionally, he noted, “the 50,000 applications that were pending as of last week have been processed and are ready for distribution.”
In a bid to further expedite the passport collection process, he directed the Directorate of Immigration to launch a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) by CS Kindiki.
This initiative, he explained, “aims to accelerate the collection of passports by publishing the names of applicants and their designated collection points by the following week.”
Moreover, Kindiki pointed out the Directorate has been tasked with developing a sustainability plan to prevent the recurrence of backlogs in passport production and collection.”
Also Read: Passport Delay: Kindiki Breathes Fire, Launches Crackdown
Highlighting the government’s commitment to improving efficiency, Kindiki announced a streamlined timeline for passport processing.
“Effective from May 1, 2024, all passport applications will be processed within 21 days from the date of application.”
This processing period, he noted, will be further reduced to 7 days from August 1, 2024, and to just 3 days from September 1, 2024.
No More Passport Delays
These timelines, Kindiki stated marked an improvement from the previous delays that applicants experienced.
“To ensure the effectiveness of the reforms, Kindiki explained that he personally had inspected the new passport printing equipment and observed the production process.
“I also engaged with passport applicants to gauge their experiences with the changes implemented by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services.”
Also Read: Kindiki Announces Date Kenyans Will Start Getting Passports in 3 Days
President William Ruto had earlier ordered Kindiki to clear the mess at Nyayo House after widespread uproar from Kenyans.
The announcement of these measures comes as welcome news to many Kenyans who have long endured delays and frustrations in obtaining passports.
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