Govt to Expedite 49,500 Passports in 14 Days, Hours After System Failure.
A system failure that impacted the standard operating procedures for receiving and processing passport applications was announced by the State Department. A few hours later, the administration declared that starting on May 10, 2024, 49,500 passports will be issued in 14 days.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is spearheading this initiative in an attempt to reduce the 724,000 passport backlog that many applicants are experiencing while they wait for their travel authorization.
Kindiki said the Ministry has already faced criticism for its cumbersome passport issuance procedure. “In 14 days, we would like the passports delivered and picked up,” he said.
The 49,500 passports that will be granted will be primarily for residents who reside around the country. Nairobi County has the most passports (27,000), with allocations ranging from 3,000 to 400. Embu (4,500), Nakuru (4,200), Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kisii, and Kericho follow with varying numbers.
The announcement comes after the temporary suspension of passport application and collection processes on Tuesday morning. The State Department assured the public that prompt action was being taken to rectify the issue, citing a system breakdown as the cause.
“We regret to inform our clients that we are currently experiencing a downtime that has affected our normal passport application receiving and collection services,” the State Department stated in part in a statement.
Along with reducing the existing backlog, the administration has set high standards for the issuing of passports and digital identity cards.
Thanks to the acquisition of two new passport printing machines in April, the government intends to have issued three million digital national identity cards and at least one million passports by the end of 2024.
At the announcement of the new equipment purchase, Prof. Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, pointed out that the improved output will allow the e-Citizen platform make revenue in addition to speeding up services.
A multitude of challenges have faced applicants over the last three years, including insufficient funding, a dearth of passport booklets, broken equipment, corruption, and negative publicity. Kindiki assured the people that measures were being done to address these issues and sustain the reforms in the long run.
“Based on the strategic improvements and investments that we have made to our essential personal registration and documentation systems, we think there are reasonable targets,” Prof. Bitok said.
With the arrival of new high-capacity printers, passport issuing wait times should be reduced to less than 14 working days, leading to a significant improvement in service delivery.
Ps. Bitok reiterated the government’s commitment to doing away with delays, citing the allocation of enough resources as a critical element in achieving this goal.
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Govt to Expedite 49,500 Passports in 14 Days, Hours After System Failure.
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