Normal Passport Processing Resumes

The Kenyan Immigration Department has resumed normal operations for passport issuance after successfully resolving a period of downtime in its application and collection systems.

In a statement released on Thursday, the department thanked applicants for their patience and understanding during the disruption and announced the return to standard processing timelines. As of April 22, the government had implemented several measures to address the backlog accumulated during the downtime. New printers were acquired to accelerate passport printing while outstanding supplier bills were settled promptly. According to the department, supply chain issues were resolved to ensure smooth processing.

"We are pleased to inform all our clients that we have resumed normal operations in the issuance of passports. We thank you for your patience and understanding during the period that we experienced a downtime," it said.

This comprehensive approach successfully cleared the backlog of 724,000 passports that existed as of March 11th. Positive changes have also been implemented for future applications. As of May 1st, all new applications will be processed within 21 days. This timeframe will steadily decrease, reaching 7 days by August 1st and ultimately shrinking to just 3 days by September 1st. Focusing on existing uncollected passports, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has directed the department to ensure delivery and collection within 14 days, starting May 10th.

A Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) will be implemented to expedite document clearance and address the remaining 49,500 uncollected passports currently distributed across various regions. With these improvements, applicants can expect a significantly smoother and faster experience when applying for a Kenyan passport.