1.5 Million Kenyans Yet to Apply for e-Passports as Deadline Approaches

At least 1.5 million Kenyans are yet to apply for new generation passports ahead of August 31st deadline, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i says.

Speaking when he opened a new immigration center for issuance of e-passports in Nakuru on Wednesday, CS Matiang'i urged those who are yet to apply to do so before the deadline.

The Nakuru station is one of the new immigration centers that have been opened in the country. Others are located in Kisii, Eldoret, and Embu.

“We want first of all the 1.5 million Kenyans who are holding old generation passports to move to the electronic passports."

"Many embassies and missions have now stopped issuing visas in the old generation passports. If you go line up there with your old documents, you will be returned,” Matiang'i said.

Matiang'i said new stations have been launched in Kenyan embassies abroad including Pretoria (South Africa), London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), Dubai (UAE), Washington (USA), Los Angeles (USA), and Beijing (China).

“The President demanded that we have a new e-passport unit in the US, we have one in Washington, we have a unit in Los Angeles, we have one in London, Paris, UEA, and Pretoria. In fact, as we speak now, we are launching the Pretoria office as we are launching this one now,” he said.

The digital passport, which is embedded with an electronic chip, is part of global efforts to curb travel fraud by making it difficult to produce a fake passport.

Kenya pledged to shift to e-passports from September 1st as part of its commitment to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Comments

Submitted by Kenya on Wed, 06/12/2019 @ 02:40pm

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Does Mating'i know we cannot be able to create an account using e-Citizen website because we do not have Kenya phone number? We need to use our phone number so that an access code can be send to our phone number.

This is pure BS...trip to DC is very costly for the people who line in the midwest and westcoast...let alone having to take time off work. Arghhh....Kenya yetu joh!! Where did we go wrong?? We really need to drain the swamp....

Submitted by Settled Nomad on Wed, 06/12/2019 @ 05:50pm

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Does Matiang'i know that the US is a Continent, not a Country? Telling someone in Birmingham, Alabama, to go for a Passport in Washington DC, is like telling someone in Nairobi to go for a Passport in Cairo, Egypt. Then throw in the usual confusion, brought about by lack of communication, or clear guidelines. 'Rudi Kesho', cannot work here. After harassing its Citizens, The Government will eventually have no choice, but to accept the Internationally accepted requirements of renewing, or replacing a Passport. The primary one being that the current one has to expire first.

Submitted by Anos on Wed, 06/12/2019 @ 06:28pm

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I am in 254 and I hear lines form at 4 am if you are to be among the 1000 or so served that day at Nyayo. I will try Embu and see how that works out and report my findings on Mwaks. I will also find out if that Kahudums number has a real deadline ama ni kustua tu.

Submitted by Settled Nomad on Wed, 06/12/2019 @ 06:29pm

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'Many Embassies and Missions have now stopped issuing Visas in the old generation passport'. Please, let us not paint a Rosy picture, on a purely Kenyan thing. Individual Countries in the International Community have not invalidated the Old Kenyan passport, because there is nothing illegal about it, according to International Law. Those who invalidate it do so because they have something to gain, and nothing to lose, by doing so. Matiang'i's deadline of September 1st will come to pass. International Law will still recognize the Old Kenyan passport. My guess is that before that day, the Kenyan government will 'gracefully',(read face saving), find a way to extend the deadline. Eventually, no one will be forced to get a new passport, unless the current one has expired.

@Settled Nomad, you are correct. This is BS from Kenya govt. There are so many Kenya international students all over the world and other Kenyans who have all other kinds of visa. They will not be in a position to get a e-passport by September. Remember once you get a new pp you will need to go to the embassy to transfer your visa to the new pp because they will put holes to the old pp.

Submitted by Mgeni on Thu, 06/13/2019 @ 12:10am

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Sasa, these sentiments are supposed to be directed towards the so-called diaspora representatives. Tuna Overwhelm MWAKILISHI. Anaangaliaga tu comments anasem, " Hii mtajisort".

Submitted by Madenge on Thu, 06/13/2019 @ 10:37am

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What’s the zip code of and street address of our local cities before we go to e passports. Digital programs require correct physical address, and what we have in Kenya is P.O. Box which most people can’t afford . So my government due to patients with pulmonary problems please refrain from wearing perfume colognes and strong scented lotion. Thank you

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