Starting on Monday, September 25th, the government is taking action to address the pressing issue of passport backlogs.
With over 87,000 passports awaiting collection at various Immigration offices nationwide, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Prof Kithure Kindiki, announced the initiation of the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI).
The primary objective of the RRI is to ensure the prompt collection of all these documents within a 30-day timeframe.
To achieve this, the government will set up customer care tents dedicated to passport collection.
In a bid to keep the public informed, the Immigration department will release details of passports ready for collection every Wednesday for five consecutive weeks.
These updates will be disseminated through mainstream and social media platforms, with collections scheduled for the following week after each publication.
The Interior Ministry also issued a stern warning that if passport holders fail to retrieve their documents within the stipulated period and beyond the due notice, the government will take legal measures.
Unclaimed passports will be disposed off in accordance with Kenyan and International law, and individuals may face penalties when applying for passports in the future.
The distribution of uncollected passports is as follows:- Nyayo House (Nairobi) – 36,170- Embu Regional Office – 10,409- Eldoret Regional Office – 9,938- Kisumu Regional Office – 9,515- Nakuru Regional Office – 8,023- Kisii Regional Office – 7,971- Mombasa Regional Office – 5,424
Meanwhile, the government continues to operate 24-hour shifts for passport processing and production.
Special attention will be given to emergency applications from individuals seeking medical treatment abroad, students preparing for admission to foreign institutions, and those with imminent job opportunities requiring timely passport acquisition.
