In a significant move to streamline access to registration documents for Kenyans, the Government has announced plans to double the number of passports issued this year to at least one million, alongside providing three million digital National IDs during the same period.
Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, unveiled these targets during a strategic planning meeting in Mombasa. The government aims to boost revenue generated from its services on the eCitizen digital platform to a daily average of Ksh1 billion.
Bitok emphasized that these targets are achievable, thanks to strategic improvements and investments in vital personal registration and documentation systems. The government also seeks to enhance revenue from electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), aiming for at least five million visitors following the abolition of entry visas by President William Ruto.
To meet these objectives, the Directorate of Immigration plans to establish new offices in Nyeri, Bungoma, and Garissa, while investing in passport and border management systems. Additionally, two new passport printing machines with a combined printing capacity of 600 passports per hour are set for installation in Nyayo House.
In compliance with a presidential directive, vetting of ID applicants in Northern Kenya and other border regions will cease next month. The government also aims to digitize 46 million birth and death records held by the Civil Registration Services and 2 million records under the National Registration Bureau.
The eCitizen platform will see an expansion to 20,000 services from the current 16,000, with over one million daily users anticipated. Plans are also underway to expedite the Shirika Plan for the settlement of refugees in Kakuma and Daadab camps.
The Government’s initiatives underscore its commitment to improving service delivery and accessibility to essential registration documents for all Kenyans, contributing to national development and prosperity.
