NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 — The government has set up a dedicated counter to fast-track passport applications for Kenyans who have secured jobs abroad.
The move comes a few days after President William Ruto announced that Kenyans who secure jobs abroad will receive their passports within a week.
Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the move is part of the ongoing commitment to facilitate Kenyans to acquire travel documents in a “convenient and timely manner”.
“In line with the Presidential directive to facilitate travel for Kenyans pursuing job opportunities outside the country, we have set up dedicated Migrant Labour counters to fast-track passport applications,” PS Bitok said Thursday when he issued a status update on the printing and collection of passports.
PS Bitok advised applicants seeking urgent passport processing to present their papers, which he said must include documents of proof of intent issued by the relevant institution.
Speaking at a roadside rally in Taita Taveta on July 28, Ruto revealed that over 1,000 Kenyans leave the country each week for job opportunities abroad.
400,000 job openings
He noted the State Department of Labour’s online directory had 400,000 job openings listed.
“I have arranged for those who find employment abroad to get their passports within one week, and the cost of their flights will [be] covered by us and their employers,” Ruto stated.
To encourage self-tracking and feedback mechanisms, PS Bitok said that the Immigrations Department has provided mechanisms to promote transparency, facilitate self-tracking, and provide prompt feedback.
To find out their passport application status, the Immigrations PS said applicants can send a text with their eCitizen tracking number to 22222.
The clear the passports’ backlog, Bitok said his office is reviewing its operations and investing in human resources, modern equipment, and technologies to enhance efficiency and the quality of clients’ experiences.
“We have also reformed our processes to decongest workstations and speed up our services. As a result of these interventions, we have cleared the historical backlog of unprinted passports in our systems,” he said.
Bitok said 110,059 passports lay uncollected in Immigration Departments across the country.
Nairobi has the highest number of uncollected titles at 55,504 followed by Kisumu with 11,707.
To ease passport delivery, the Immigrations PS said the Ministry has suspended the requirement for applicants to book an appointment to collect their passports.
To free up limited storage space, Bitok notified applicants that the Immigrations department that will dispose of all uncollected passports in six months.
