The National Assembly Regional Integration Committee chaired by Hon. Wanjiku Muhia (Kipipiri) has called on the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services to clear issuance of the 88,000 pending passports.

During a meeting with the Principal Secretary of the State Department, Amb. Julius Bitok, the Members sought to know the measures the Department has put in place to ensure reduction in the backlog on issuance of passports and a reduction of the turnaround time of passport applications.

According to Amb. Bitok, the delays have been occasioned by shortage of e-passport booklets, breakdown of e-passport printers and limited storage capacity of current servers due to exponential growth of passport applications.

“The Directorate has two aged e-Passport printing machines procured in the 2015/2016 Financial Year. Each printer has the capacity to print 800 passports per day. The M2 printer broke down in April, year. It required replacement of the laser engraving unit that could only be procured from the manufacturer based in Germany. This aggravated the backlog,” Amb. Bitok told the Committee.

He further stated that lack of adequate funding has hindered the Department from achieving its obligations that include; prompt delivery of passport booklets and servicing of the passport printers.

In his presentation, the PS disclosed that the printing machine had been fixed and by November this year the 88,000-passport backlog will have been cleared. He also told the committee that the turn-around time for passport application will be reduced from the current two weeks to seven days.

Members were concerned to learn that lack of adequate funding was among the challenges faced by the Department, as a result they asked the PS how much revenue it generates and how it utilizes it.

In his response the PS disclosed that globally the Department generates Kshs. 17 billion which goes to the National Treasury. He added that they had entered  into an agreement with the Treasury that starting the Financial Year 2023/2024 the Department will retain Kshs. 1.3billion for its use.