The Immigration Ministry has been receiving a lot of backlashes based on the manner it issues passports to Kenyan natives. The exercise, which has since gone digital to embed biometric data on passports, is cumbersome and has forced people to spend lengthy hours at Nyayo House. The Government has since responded to peoples’ pressure to make the process as seamless as possible, a development that saw it open more stations outside Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa. People now can get access to the services in Embu, Kisii, Eldoret and Nakuru, an admirable improvement, to say the least.
Booking
Admittedly, while new applications have since been opened, the lion’s share of applicants are, for one reason or another, in Nairobi. These numbers have elongated the queues in the facility, amid no to little activity in the new stations. While there is no easy way to manage the traffic at Nyayo House based on the high number of interested parties, or those replacing their old passports for the digitized version being based in Nairobi and its environs, the Immigration Ministry has not laxed as it has revealed a booking system, which will see people submit their applications and specify the date and time they will avail themselves at either of the aforementioned stations for processing.
The appointment will be made via the eCitizen platform for future applications. Those who have already applied for the document can retrace their steps to the site and book an appointment for the exercise (date, time, and station).
Of course, there are exemptions in the update, including sick persons who have urgent medical needs in foreign states, students on scholarships who need immediate travel, public servants and business executives on critical assignments abroad. These exemptions will require substantial evidence.
No Hurry
It is also worth noting that obtaining the document in a timely manner is a wise decision. Those who have not done so should be happy to know the government extended the deadline to March to 2020. Thus, use our holidays well, especially when you travel upcountry. It will save you a lot of time and resources to secure the travel document.
