Gov’t Opens Six New Immigration Centers in the Diaspora to Facilitate Issuance of e-Passports

The government has opened 10 new Immigration centers to facilitate the issuance of e-Passports.

Director-General of Immigration Alex Muteshi said six of the new centers were opened in the diaspora and four in the country.

The six diaspora centers are based in Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), London (United Kingdom), Washington DC (United States), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Johannesburg (South Africa).

New stations in the country are located in Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret, and Embu.

“The four local centers are now operational, but will officially be launched next week by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i. Those in the diaspora will also be in operation soon to help Kenyans living there acquire e-passports easily,” said Muteshi as quoted by the Daily Nation.

Muteshi said the new stations will be handling about 1,500 new applicants per day and will reduce the long queues at the Immigration headquarters in Nyayo House, Nairobi.

Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Administration and National Security last month, Immigration Principal Secretary Gordon Kihalangwa said at least 800,000 Kenyans had been issued with the new generation passports.

“So far we have issued almost 800,000 passports and we expect a very good number will have been done by 31st August,” said Kihalangwa.

Those seeking the digital passports must present themselves to the immigration centers for their biometrics, including photograph and fingerprints, to be captured.

The digital passport, which is embedded with an electronic chip, is part of global efforts to curb travel fraud by making it difficult to produce a fake passport.

Kenya pledged to shift to e-Passports from September 1st as part of its commitment to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.