Govt Buys 100,000 Passports To Clear 60,000 Applications Backlog
The Immigration Department revealed that there are currently 63,265 passport applications that are pending issuance, with the majority being the popular 34-page A-series.
Linda Amiani 
Over 60,000 individuals who have been waiting for their Kenyan passports will finally receive them within a three-week period, thanks to the arrival of over 100,000 passport blank booklets.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary, Prof. Julius Bitok on Wednesday, April 5 announced that the backlog of passport applications will be cleared in 21 days, and if individuals apply through the e-Citizen platform, they can receive their passports within that time frame.
The Immigration Department revealed that there are currently 63,265 passport applications that are pending issuance, with the majority being the popular 34-page A-series.
Immigration PS Julius Bitok holding a box of passport booklets on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. /FACEBOOK.JULIUS BITOK
The backlog has been caused by a shortage of booklets and an increase in demand for passports, especially by Kenyans seeking employment abroad and students enrolling in foreign institutions.
To address this problem, PS Bitok disclosed that the government is in discussions with potential investors to invest in local manufacturing of passports to provide faster and relatively cheaper supplies.
“We are in talks with investors for Public-Private Partnerships (PPT) so that we can manufacture and print these documents here in Kenya,” Bitok revealed.
“As a government, we are looking for the possibility of investing in local manufacturing of passports for faster and comparatively cheaper supplies."
With the arrival of the new passport booklets, the backlog of 15,358 A-series, 10,045 B-series, and 37,810 C-series passports that were queued due to the booklet shortage will now be cleared.
“The new stock will adequately cover all passport series and there is, therefore, no need for applicants to revise their preferred choices,” Bitok added.
Prof. Bitok also encouraged more Kenyans to use the e-Citizen platform to apply for passports and take advantage of the digitization of government services.
"It will take you 21 days to receive your passport if you apply on the e-Citizen platform", the PS assured Kenyans.
A screenshot of the e-Citizen platform. /FILE
