Upgrade your passport if you wish to travel urgently, PS Bitok says

Kenyans who had applied for the 34-page passport booklets and have a dire and urgent need to travel have been advised to upgrade to the 50-page booklets.

They can review their applications via e-Citizen and will not need to physically visit Nyayo House or any other immigration offices across the country, the Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok now says.

The issuance of the documents will be prioritised on a first-come first-serve basis.

"Applicants with pending 34-page passports who have an urgent need to travel are advised to upgrade their applications to the 50-page booklet through the e-Citizen portal," said Bitok in a circular on Thursday, March 21.

This emerged as the Ministry said it has received at least 112,700 more passport booklets. They include some 92,400, 50 page booklets and 20,300,66-page booklets.

The new consignment, according to Bitok, adds onto 50,000 other booklets received last week.

Backlog

The Ministry has also procured two modern printing machines and installed servers that will improve efficiency, as it works to reduce the backlog.

"The directorate has procured two modern passport printing machines that will be ready for commissioning by April 2024. Additionally, servers have also been installed to stabilise the system and secure relevant data," he added.

Last week, the PS called on Kenyans who had not collected their passports to do so to clear the backlog.  He said that the collection is on subject to the availability of specific booklets determined by the number of pages paid for by each applicant.

The revised fees, charges and levies by the Department of Immigration and Citizen Services have already taken effect.