The Kenyan government has announced a dramatic reduction in processing times, promising to deliver passports within just three days by November 1, 2024.
The announcement, made by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, comes as the country grapples with a backlog of over 700,000 pending passport applications that had built up due to a confluence of challenges.
These included underfunding of the Directorate of Immigration, corruption, disruptions in the global supply chain for passport materials, and aging printing infrastructure.
“All the bottlenecks have now been comprehensively addressed,” Kindiki assured, outlining a phased approach to accelerate passport delivery. Effective May 1, 2024, applicants will receive their passports within 21 days. This timeline will be further reduced to just 7 days by August 1, and finally to 3 days by the November 1 target.
The cabinet secretary attributed the turnaround to increased funding, system reforms, and the arrest of 17 public servants and civilians involved in an “organized criminal gang” that had been extorting Kenyans. “The fight against corrupt practices within the Immigration space will remain a continuous process,” he vowed.
The push for faster passport processing aligns with the government’s labor export policy, which has driven surging demand for travel documents. Kindiki assured that adequate infrastructure, systems, and personnel have been put in place to meet this growing need.
“The Ministry of Interior and National Administration appreciates and thanks members of the public for their patience,” Kindiki said, also commending immigration officials and the National Treasury for their support in modernizing passport production.
