Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kenyans.co.ke
Published on 2024-03-21 09:54:59
The Ministry of Interior in Kenya has made an announcement urging individuals who had previously applied for the 34-page passport booklet to consider upgrading to the 50-page version for faster processing. In a statement released on Thursday, March 21, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok disclosed that the country had received an additional 112,700 passport booklets. Among these, 92,400 were 50-page booklets, while the remaining 20,300 were 66-page booklets. This consignment was in addition to the 50,000 booklets with 50 pages that had been received earlier.
With a shortage of the 34-page booklets, the Ministry advised applicants in urgent need of passports to consider upgrading to the 50-page version. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki emphasized that passport issuance would be prioritized on a first-come-first-served basis. Applicants with pending 34-page passport applications and urgent travel needs were encouraged to upgrade their applications through the eCitizen portal without the need for physical visits to Immigration offices.
Additionally, applicants with pending applications or those yet to collect their passports could track the status of their applications by sending an SMS with their eCitizen application reference code to 22222. However, individuals seeking an upgrade would be required to pay an extra Ksh2,000 in line with the newly introduced fee format by the Ministry. The cost of a 34-page booklet is Ksh7,500, while the 50-page version costs Ksh9,500.
At the beginning of March, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki had instructed all officers nationwide to adhere to the new fee structure, which saw the cost of the 34-page booklet increase from Ksh4,500. The 50-page booklet also rose from Ksh4,500, and the 66-page booklet, previously costing Ksh7,500, was now priced at Ksh12,500. Replacement of lost passports would now cost Ksh20,000, up from the previous fee of Ksh12,000. The fee for replacing a mutilated passport also increased to Ksh20,000 from Ksh10,000, and obtaining an express passport would now cost Ksh30,000.
In his announcement, Bitok confirmed that the Ministry had procured two new machines to expedite the passport printing process, reducing the waiting period to 21 days. These machines are expected to improve efficiency and reduce delays in passport processing. The Ministry is working towards providing better services to citizens by streamlining the passport application and issuance process.
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