Passport booklets due next month

Minister of Internal Affair General Jeje Odong

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has said that the passport booklets that had run out will be available in July, starting a week from now.

The ministry’s Public Relations Manager, Jacob Siminyu, reiterated what the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lt. Gen. Odongo Jeje, (Pictured) made in a statement to Parliament two weeks ago that,   “The Attorney general has cleared a new agreement for delivery of new passports and we expect them within a month.”

Odongo had told Parliament that, in line with the regional requirement to migrate electronic passports from last April, the idea is to phase out the readable passports and replace them with the new generation of electronic passports. He had explained that East African member states have extended the deadline to December 2017.

Odongo had explained the shortage of the passport booklets as a result of transiting to the electronic passport system instead of printing the ordinary passports which are due to become obsolete.

Meanwhile, Simiyu has said that the institution of the electronic visa and work permits application portal has improved the efficiency in providing immigration services. Since the internal affairs ministry operationalized the electronic portal in June last year, over 155,000 applications have been received.

Siminyu noted that this system is effective since it is easy for people to apply and make their payments electronic ally and applicants are now getting the responses within a period of 3 to 5 days. Those intending applying can do so from the comfort of their homes anywhere in the world and they are able to get a response from us between 3-5 days. This has eliminated the crowding at the passport office, he added.

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