Government expands passport services to ease Nyayo House congestion
The Interior Ministry plans new passport application centres in Nairobi and several counties to ease Nyayo House congestion, cut travel distances and speed up processing for thousands of Kenyan applicants.
The government is moving to expand passport services across Nairobi and several counties in an effort to ease the long-standing congestion at Nyayo House.
Officials say the plan is part of a broader redesign aimed at improving access and reducing long wait times for applicants.
The Interior Ministry has proposed establishing new application centres in Westlands, Upper Hill, Makadara, Kiserian, Athi River, and Thika to handle the rising demand for passports.
Further decentralisation is also planned, with additional centres in Malindi, Voi, Kwale, Isiolo, Machakos, Lodwar, Narok, and Siaya.
The strategy is designed to reduce travel distances for Kenyans while relieving the pressure on the capital’s main passport office.
Nyayo House, home to the Immigration Services headquarters, has in recent years become a focal point of delays and operational breakdowns, frustrating thousands of applicants.
The surge in demand has been driven by government-led labour migration initiatives and growing international travel among Kenyans.
Immigration data shows that an average of 5,000 passport applications are submitted daily, amounting to over 1.8 million each year.
Backlogs have at times exceeded 700,000 applications, worsened by system outages and equipment shortages.
Last year, the government enlisted the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to secure passport supplies amid a global scarcity of printing materials, highlighting the strain on existing infrastructure.
Officials believe that the expansion of centres and the decentralisation plan will ensure faster processing, reduce overcrowding, and bring passport services closer to residents across the country.
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