Kenyans living in US receive passport in record month after application

May 8, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

The Kenyan government through the Ministry of Affairs and Diaspora announced on Wednesday, May 8, the delivery of hundreds of passports to the United States of America by air.

The passports were from Kenyans in the diaspora who had submitted applications a month ago.

Diaspora Affairs Principal Secretary Roseline Njogu attributed the record issuance time of the passports to the decision of President William Ruto’s administration. They promise to prioritize the challenges faced by Kenyans in the diaspora.

He added that the Mobile Consular Service (MCS), which decentralizes service delivery in foreign missions, was effective.

A photo of the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs, Roseline Njogu.

Photo

State Department of Diaspora Affairs

“The first batch of passports that you applied for during the Mobile Consular Service last month have already arrived in Washington DC,” said PS Njogu.

According to Njogu, the feat was achieved thanks to close collaboration between the Department of State and the Department of Immigration.

In addition, he thanked his colleague Julius Bitok, director of the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services of the Ministry of the Interior, for facilitating the process.

While previously Kenyans could only apply for passports in Washington DC, the Mobile Consular Service has made it possible to apply in major cities in the United States.

During the March 2024 Mobile Consular Service programs, Kenyans living in the US were able to apply for their passports in Boston Massachusetts, Houston Texas, and Seattle Washington.

In Kenya, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has ordered the issuance of passports to be carried out within 21 days from the date of successful application.

To this end, the government has purchased new printing machines that have eliminated a backlog of 700,000 passports.

Additionally, Kindiki has promised to eliminate immigration officials who extort money from Kenyans seeking services from the department.

CS Kindiki during an impromptu tour of Nyayo House on May 6, 2024.

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Kithure Kindiki