Passport delays persist as Gov’t acknowledges machine breakdowns
By Issa Hussein |
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura acknowledged that the government is currently facing challenges in the issuance of passports to applicants.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura acknowledged that the government is currently facing challenges in the issuance of passports to applicants. He attributed the delay to occasional breakdowns of machines used by the Directorate of Immigration Services at Nyayo House.
To address the issue, Mwaura stated that the government has procured two new machines to process passports, aiming to alleviate the backlog of thousands of applications. Additionally, he announced that 100,000 new passports have been printed and are set for issuance.
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This statement comes amid concerns from Kenyans regarding the delayed issuance of passports. In June 2023, the government had announced plans to reduce the time taken to acquire a Kenyan passport, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki directing the processing of 42,000 pending passport applications within 21 days, eventually reducing the processing time to seven days. Kindiki also emphasized expedited processing within 24 hours for emergencies, such as applicants seeking medical and educational services.
In September 2023, Kindiki further revealed that the government had initiated plans to lease new machines from private investors due to the high cost of purchasing new ones. He attributed the backlog to poor printing equipment, insufficient investment, and corruption, noting that these issues were being addressed.
He disclosed the existence of a backlog of slightly over 58,000 passport applications, with a printing capacity of about 5,000 passports daily.
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