On Thursday, the Ministry of Interior, led by Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, announced a significant reform in passport issuance, setting a strict timeline of 21 days effective May 1.
Kindiki revealed that the Ministry successfully tackled the backlog, which previously stood at a staggering 724,000 applications, reducing it to below 50,000. Consequently, starting May 1, Kenyans can expect to receive their passports within a maximum of 21 days.
This waiting period will be further shortened to just seven days by August 1 and eventually to a remarkable three days by November 1. The Ministry assured the public of its commitment to maintaining these timelines, having addressed various challenges within the passport printing process.
Among the hurdles overcome were issues of underfunding within the Directorate of Immigration, corruption, and disruptions in the global supply chain for passport booklet materials. Additionally, outdated printing infrastructure and inefficiencies in passport delivery were identified and addressed.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, Kindiki noted that seventeen individuals, including both public servants and members of the public, were apprehended for their involvement in a syndicate that extorted money from passport applicants.
The CS emphasized that these individuals would face criminal charges for their role in soliciting bribes, signaling a robust crackdown on corruption within the passport issuance process.
