58,330 passports ready for collection, PS Bitok says
National
By
Esther Nyambura
| Mar 05, 2024
The Ministry of Interior has called on Kenyans to make arrangements to collect their passports.
Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said 58,330 passports are ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001480270/immigration-department-turns-to-night-shifts-to-reduce-passports-backlog">ready for collection< across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bitok urged Kenyans whose passports are ready for collection, to do so from their respective ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001480789/mps-want-government-to-create-mobile-passport-issuance-offices">Immigration offices<.
"Currently, 58,330 passports are yet to be collected from immigration offices across the country. We urge applicants who have already been notified that their passports are ready to collect them as soon as possible to free up storage space," he said.
The PS noted that Nairobi has the highest number of uncollected passports at 24,613.
It is followed by Embu with 9,584, Kisumu (6, 087) and Mombasa (5,759).
Eldoret has 4,538 uncollected passports, Nakuru (4,466) and Kisii (3,283).
PS advised applicants that they will be prioritised based on the ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001482567/7-day-passport-clearance-still-elusive-for-hundreds-turning-up-at-nyayo-house">availability of the booklets< paid for.
“Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to the availability of specific booklets determined by the number of pages paid for by each applicant," he said.
This comes as the revised fees, charges and levies by the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services take effect. According to the new changes that were published on November 14, 2023, a 50-page passport will cost Sh9,500 from Sh6,000 with those in need of 66 pages to pay Sh12,500 from Sh7,500.
The changes also affected those who would wish to replace a lost passport as they will part with Sh20,000 from Sh12,000 and Sh10,000 for a mutilated one while it will cost Sh30,000 for an express passport.