Kenyan foreign missions set to roll out issuance of new e-Passports
It has taken the Foreign Affairs Ministry almost two months to put in place a structure that will see Kenyans abroad acquire the new generation passports after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that Kenyans in diaspora be issued with it.
Mr Kenyatta in March, while on a state visit to Namibia, issued the order to the immigration department and the Foreign Affairs Ministry saying that he saw no reason why Kenyans living outside the country should incur huge financial costs to travel back home to Nairobi to acquire the new passports.
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma said six Kenyan missions abroad are now set to roll out the issuance of the new e-passport.
The missions include Washington DC, Beijing-China, Dubai-UAE, London-UK, Paris-France and Pretoria-South Africa.
APPLICATIONS
The mission in Washington DC has already started setting up the initiative’s infrastructure.
Ms Juma added that the others Kenyans abroad will now be able to apply or renew the electronic passports in the missions listed, effectively ending the hassle they underwent in having to send their travel documents to Nairobi or traveling back home to make applications.
Mr Kenyatta’s directive in March was a relief to many Kenyans in the diaspora who had been forced to incur huge expenses coming back to Nairobi to renew their passports.
They had to endure long queues at Immigration Department, with some missing out on opportunities due to delays.