State Department for Immigration Revamps Passport, IDs, and Civil Registration Services

The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services has announced improvements in the application, processing, and issuance of Kenyan passports and national identity cards.

According to Principal Secretary for State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services Prof. Julius Bitok, these enhancements aim to streamline service delivery, reduce delays, and ensure greater efficiency in meeting the needs of citizens both locally and abroad.

Appearing before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday , to respond to audit queries for the Auditor-General’s Report for the financial year ending 30th June 2023, Prof. Bitok told MPs that passport processing time has reduced from three months to 7 days, with production capacity increased to 10,000 passports daily due to new printers and expanded application counters.

Prof. Bitok also explained that the government has acquired one million pouches, eliminating shortages.

“Passports are one area where we have significantly improved service delivery. When we assumed office two years ago, it took approximately three months for applicants to receive their passports. Today, the process has been streamlined to take a maximum of seven days—from application to printing and collection,” he explained.

He attributed these improvements to key developments: “First, we acquired two new printers, increasing our production capacity to about 10,000 passports daily. Additionally, we expanded the application counters at Nyayo House from 14 to 40, effectively decongesting the facility and enhancing efficiency.”

To further decongest Nyayo House and enhance efficiency, the PS noted that initially, only one wing was used for both passport applications and collections.

“Now, both wings are operational, with the northern wing designated for applications and the southern wing for collections,” he stated.

He also emphasized improvements in passport booklet availability: “Previously, the government acquired about 300,000 booklets annually. Since we took office, we have increased this to 1 million booklets per year. As a result, we no longer face shortages of Series B or Series C booklets. We currently have sufficient stock to meet demand through December next year,” he stated.

“We have also made significant strides in supporting labor migration. Recognizing the growing number of people seeking opportunities abroad, we have established dedicated counters to handle job approval applications. These applications are processed swiftly, ensuring applicants receive their passports on time.

For emergency cases, we’ve streamlined the process to deliver passports within 24 hours, enabling individuals to address urgent needs promptly. This reflects our commitment to reform and our focus on providing efficient, citizen-centered services.

Additionally, we’ve expanded our reach by opening more offices to bring these services closer to the people, further enhancing accessibility and convenience.

“We have opened new passport offices in Kericho and Bungoma counties to bring services closer to the people,” the PS affirmed.

“We are also planning to establish another office in Machakos County, in line with our vision of ensuring every region in Kenya has a passport office. This will enable all Kenyans to access their passports more efficiently.”

However, the PS expressed concern over a backlog of approximately 65,000 passports that have been printed but remain uncollected despite multiple reminders to their owners.

Mathioya MP Edwin Gichuki Mugo raised the issue of delays in processing birth and death certificates, noting their importance for succession cases and school admissions.

“You have explained the milestones in the application and processing of passports, but what is the state department doing to address the challenges Kenyans face in obtaining birth and death certificates, which are crucial documents?” he asked.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera voiced concerns about delays in issuing national identity cards to students in some sub-counties.

“What measures are in place to ensure students who have attained 18 years and completed Form 4 are promptly issued identity cards?” he posed.

Subukia MP Samuel Gachobe questioned the department’s efforts to safeguard data security and its plans to establish civil registration offices in every constituency.

“What is being done to enhance data security and improve access to civil registration services across all constituencies?” he inquired.

The PS revealed that the registration of birth certificates now takes only one week, thanks to a shift towards digital processes, with 90% of registrations currently conducted online.

He further highlighted the installation of a new ICT system that enables the online submission of biometrics and digital printing of ID cards within 10 days. To assist students in obtaining ID cards, additional resources have been deployed with a special focus on secondary schools.

“We have instructed county directors of education to liaise with secondary school principals to ensure that every Form Four student who completes school is issued with the new ID card, which we are now calling the Maisha Card,” the PS explained.

He also noted a significant increase in the number of ID card issuance centers, which now stand at 970, with plans to establish more offices by 2027.

“Regarding ID cards, we now have a broad representation across the country. We currently operate 970 centers for ID services. However, the real challenge lies in civil registration. When we assumed office, only 35 civil registration offices were operational. Our plan is to ensure that each of the 290 constituencies has at least one civil registration office,” the PS concluded.