Govt Gives Deadline Of Dumping Old Passports

The decision was arrived at following a meeting with the EAC Council of Ministers held in Tanzania in November 2021.

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Sep 22, 2022 - 06:49 Updated: Oct 17, 2022 - 11:52
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Govt Gives Deadline Of Dumping Old Passports
A copy of the East African Community Kenyan passport. /FILE

UPDATE Monday, October 17: The government has clarified that Kenyans can still renew their old passports for the new EAC biometric e-passport after the deadline which is set for Wednesday, November 30.

Department of Immigration Services Director General Alexander Muteshi noted that the deadline was to mark the end of the issuance of the dark-blue travel booklets.

"Kenya will migrate fully to using the new EAC Community passport on Dec 1. However, renewal and replacement of the old generation Kenya passport will continue normally in all our passport application centres locally and in our missions after this deadline," Muteshi stated.

The government has given Kenyans until Wednesday, November 30 to migrate to the new East African Community (EAC) biometric e-passport from their old passports.

In a statement on Thursday, September 22, Immigration Director General Alexander Muteshi reminded Kenyans to replace their old passports to avoid inconveniences.

The decision was arrived at following a meeting with the EAC Council of Ministers held in Tanzania in November 2021.

"Pursuant to the decision by EAC Council of Minister’s meeting held in Arusha from November 22 to 29, 2021, the deadline for phasing out of the old generation passport for all EAC Member States is November 2022.

Immigration desks at JKIA. /KENYA AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

"In line with this decision, the Directorate of Immigration Services wishes to inform the general public that Kenya is bound to migrate fully to the new East African Community biometric e-passport by 30th November 2022," the statement read in part.

The new-generation e-passports feature a microchip containing data about the holder, which also matches the information in the passport booklet.

The e-passport allows information stored on the chip to be verified with the information visually displayed on the booklet.

Due to its secure nature, the e-passport is set up in a way that reduces cases of reproduction and tampering. It also enhances imposter detection.

The extension was the fourth time that the deadline for the new passports had been extended after former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2019 ordered the extension to March 2020.

Kenya started issuing the new East African format e-Passport in September 2017 in line with the digitization of services.

Last year, outgoing Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said that the December 31, 2021 date will be the last time the government extends the deadline barring any unforeseen circumstances and called upon Kenyans to take advantage and acquire the biometric passports at the earliest possible opportunity.

“For the avoidance of doubt, starting January 1, 2022, the old dark blue passport will be null and void. No Kenyan will be able to travel abroad without a valid East Africa Community biometric e-passport,” he said then.

In a bid to ensure swift service delivery, the State set up more control centres to facilitate faster issuance of the travel document done within a day of application ahead of the deadline.

Locally, the new centres were set up in Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret and Embu while in Europe, the centres were established in Berlin, Paris and London. Others abroad are in Washington DC, Dubai and Johannesburg.

On Tuesday, September 20, exiled lawyer Miguna Miguna happily shared a new copy of his Kenyan passport on social media, with the red alerts preventing his return to the country the last hurdle he has remaining.

"1,687 days after Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, Fred Matiang'i, Karanja Kibicho and Gordon Kihalangwa conspired to illegally seize and destroyed my Kenyan passport, President William Ruto has had a new one delivered to me. Waiting for the lifting of red alerts.

"I didn't have to sign the silly forms they were speaking about,” he wrote.

Exiled lawyer, Miguna Miguna. /FILE 

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