Silverio Omari
The Directorate of Immigration has announced that it will dispose of all uncollected passports after six months to free up storage space. According to Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, this action is necessary to address the limited space at the department.
In a statement dated July 31, 2024, Bitok clarified that in line with Section 31 of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, the Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act (CAP 38), and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations, all uncollected passports will be disposed of six months from the notice date.
Currently, the Directorate holds 110,059 uncollected passports across various offices: Nairobi (55,504), Kisumu (11,707), Embu (10,816), Mombasa (8,696), Nakuru (8,615), Eldoret (8,551), Kisii (5,719), Kericho (3,899), and Bungoma (62).
To streamline passport collection, the Directorate has suspended the requirement for appointments. Applicants should collect their passports from the office where they initially submitted their application.
Additionally, in response to a Presidential directive to support Kenyans seeking overseas job opportunities, the Directorate has established dedicated Migrant Labour counters to expedite passport applications. Applicants are advised to provide documents proving their intent from the relevant institution.
To enhance transparency and facilitate tracking, the Directorate offers a self-tracking service. Applicants can check the status of their passport application by sending an SMS with their eCitizen tracking number (e.g., EPPI-D6T8M4H1) to 22222.
