Kenyans who need to travel outside the country urgently have been advised to apply for the 50-page passport.
Those seeking passports have had to endure prolonged delays due to a shortage of the standard 34-page document, which Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura has attributed to persistent challenges with the printing machine at Nyayo House, Nairobi.
In a statement he released on Thursday, February 15, Mr Mwaura said the government was in the process of buying two new machines to address the printing challenges.
Until this happens, Kenyans seeking faster processing of passport applications will have to incur an additional cost when they opt for the 50-page passport.
The standard application fee for the 34-page passport stands at Sh4,500, whereas the 50-page ordinary passport costs Sh6,000, presenting a financial trade-off for those in urgent need of travel documentation.
Earlier this month, Mr Mwaura acknowledged that the Immigration Department was experiencing challenges with its printing machine at Nyayo House. Once it procures new ones, the machines are anticipated to speed up issuance.
There has been a large number of Kenyans seeking jobs in Arab countries in addition to a large retinue of nurses and other medical professionals who are traveling to work as caregivers in Europe.
This has led to increased demand for passports, highlighting the need to manage both new applications and a backlog of delayed applications, which have sparked protests among Kenyans who feel frustrated because they cannot take up new opportunities in the Diaspora due to the delays.
Mr Mwaura also acknowledged delays in processing Certificates of Good Conduct at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, saying there was a daily demand of 20,000 new certificates against a backlog of 700,000.
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