Government receives 100,000 more passport printing booklets

The Immigration Department has received an additional 100,000 passport booklets.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok received the booklets.

He said the new booklets will facilitate the continuous production of passports.

"This evening, together with DG Immigration Services Evelyn Cheluget and other senior staff, we received a delivery of 100,000 passport booklets that will facilitate timely, efficient and continuous passport production," Bitok said.

In March, the government received some 112,700 passport printing booklets.

These helped to ease delays in Kenyans getting the passports.

In February, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki took fault for the delayed progress in passport issuance.

Kindiki acknowledged the pain and frustration experienced by many Kenyans seeking passports for various reasons, resulting in lost employment opportunities and restricted travel for medical care, education, business, or leisure.

"The prevailing state of affairs is inexcusable, considering that it is the right of every Kenyan to acquire citizenship documents, including travel documents. As the Cabinet Secretary overseeing passport issuance, I take responsibility for the slow pace of reforms and the prevailing systemic inefficiencies," he said.