The Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr Fred Matiang’i has announced the reduction on the number of days one has to wait for a passport after application.
Speaking during an impromptu visit at the Kisii Immigration Office and the Civil Registration on Friday, January 10, 2019, the Super CS stated that in an attempt by the government to ease congestion and delays at the office, one will be able to acquire their passports within three days.
Currently, Kenyans have to wait for seven or more days to get passports.
Matiang’i stated that there was no logic behind delaying the process of attaining such vital documents hence issuance should be made instant.
“Just like how we have reduced delays in getting birth and death certificates, we will ensure we get to the policy of same-day service for the issuance of passports,” said the CS.
Read: Why A Kenyan Passport Is The 8th Most Powerful In Africa
He went ahead and commended the efforts at the Births and Deaths office stating that it had improved and lesser complains have been levelled against the government since his impromptu visit and putting things in order.
However, he was very categorical about corruption and bribery in the said offices and stated that officers who will engage in such would not be tolerated.
“We do not want long queues and brokers in these offices. We will streamline delivery of services and will not condone nonsense,” he warned.
This followed a Kahawa Tungu expose at the ACK Bishop House offices in Upper Hill, where citizens had complained of delays and corruption.
Read Also: How To Apply For A New Passport And Replace An Old One In Kenya
At least 14 senior officers from the Civil Registration Bureau (CRB) were arrested for allegedly soliciting bribes from the general public before rendering services.
Among those sought were CRB regional coordinator Paul Kagiri, principal records officer Charles Akwoni, principal civil registration officer Charity Mwadime and her assistant, Jane Maina.
Officials probing the bribery claims raised by citizens, according to CS Fred Matiang’i, found out that problems with the ICT system had been deliberately created to slow down or jam processes hence creating an artificial backlog.
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