Immigration Department to be open on Saturday for passport collection

The Nairobi Immigration Department has announced that it will remain open on Saturday, May 18, to allow Kenyans to collect their passports.

The Nairobi office will be open on Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.

In a statement on Friday, the department called on Kenyans who have received notifications to use the extended period to pick up their passports.

“Applicants who applied for passports in Nairobi and have received notification to collect their passports are encouraged to take advantage of the extended service,” the Immigration PS said.

Interior CS Kithure Kindiki had on May 6 said that the government has put in place measures for the speedy collection and delivery of the final batch of 45,000 passports which are now ready.

The batch is from the over 720,000 passports whose production had been delayed.

Kindiki said systems are now aligned after the acquisition of two new printers for personalisation of passport details.

He said that it was also enabled by the delivery of adequate passport booklets.

The CS noted that the government is in the process of transforming service delivery, especially in the issuance of Kenyan passports.

On May 15, Parliament recommended that Kenyans applying for passports receive the travel document within three days of submitting their application.

Through the National Assembly’s Committee on National Administration and Internal Security, MPs further urged the government to open more Immigration offices across the country to make it easier to acquire passports.

MPs said many applicants are forced to make long and costly distances to access Nyayo House and the eight regional Immigration offices.

“With adequate resourcing, targeting a maximum of three days for applicants to be issued with passports is realistic. This should be feasible, especially with the opening of more offices in other parts of the country,” Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo said.