Passport Processing To Take 3 Days Only From November 1-CS Kindiki

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration’s Directorate of Immigration has acquired two new printers in a bid to resolve persistent delays in passport issuance.

These printers are expected to significantly reduce the wait times for passports, which have inconvenienced many individuals seeking employment, education, business opportunities, and healthcare services.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has announced that starting from May 1, the production time for a passport will be 21 days, which is anticipated to decrease to 7 days by August 1.

Further reduction is expected with the processing time being slashed to three days by November 1, putting an end to the prolonged backlog issue that has plagued the Immigration Department for years.

The government is set to unveil a plan this week for the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), which will include publishing the names of 50,000 applicants whose passports are ready for collection but remain unclaimed.

Additionally, CS Kindiki has instructed the Immigration Department to devise a sustainable strategy to prevent the recurrence of backlog challenges.

The two new printing machines installed at Nyayo House are capable of producing around 600 passports per hour, aligning with the Interior Ministry’s target of doubling the number of passports issued in 2024 to at least one million, compared to 533,000 issued in 2023.

With a daily demand of 5,000 passport applications, the Immigration Department, with the addition of the two new printers, will be able to produce approximately 250 to 300 passports per hour.

This, combined with the existing printers, will elevate the department’s overall capacity to 5,600 passports within an eight-hour timeframe, and over 10,000 passports produced within 24 hours.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES