Immigration Department calls for collection of 58,330 passports

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services has flagged 58,330 passports yet to be collected from the Immigration offices across the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Immigration Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok urged applicants who have already been notified to collect their passports to free up storage space.

Nairobi has the highest number of uncollected passports at 24,613, followed by Embu at 9,584, Kisumu at 6,087, Mombasa (5,759), Eldoret (4,538), Nakuru (4,466) and Kisii (3,283).

Bitok said the officers are focused on speeding up the processing and printing procedures to assist those waiting for their passports.

“Directorate of Immigration Services has intensified its operations to process and print passports and to clear the backlog of applications that has been occasioned by a surge in demand,” he said.

He added that applications are being processed on a first-in-first-out basis subject to the availability of specific booklets determined by the number of pages paid for by each applicant.

For related inquiries, applicants have been urged to contact the Immigration centre through;110 923 423, 110 922 065 or on Email: [email protected] or on X (Twitter), @ImmigrationDept.

In a memo dated February 29, 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki effected new fees and levies for various services offered by the Immigration and Citizen Services after a public participation process.

The new levies include passports where an ordinary passport (34 pages) that cost Sh4,500 will now cost Sh7,500.

The 50-page passport will cost Sh9,500 up from the current Sh6,000 and the 66-page passport will cost Sh12,500 up from the current Sh7,500.

A replacement for a lost passport would cost Sh20,000, compared to Sh12,000 in new charges.

A 50-page diplomatic passport would see one spend Sh15,000, double the price of the previous fee.

Kindiki said the decision by the government to effect the new changes follows the completion of the public participation process conducted from November 14 to December 5, 2023.

All section heads, regional coordinators, national registry, county coordinators and sub-county registrars have been directed to comply with the revised fees with effect from March 1, 2024.