Nairobi News

Ms Evelyn Chelugut, the acting Director General of Immigration Services, has made changes in the department aimed at addressing delays in processing passport that is being experienced in the country.

Addressing immigration officers at Nyayo House, Ms Chelugut has introduced day and night shifts which will run throughout the week.

Ms Chelugut said counters will be set aside for emergency cases, day and night shifts will kick off and applications will be received as from 7am to 8:30pm.

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“We are working hard, the passport section has been working on shifts, we have dedicated counters for urgent cases and all regional heads to boost staff in the urgent counters,” said Ms Chelugut.

Ms Chelugut also announced that the number of staff members will be increased and that some of the officials will have to be sent abroad to work from there.

The changes have been made at a time when Kenyans have been raising concerns that there was a challenge in processing passports.

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Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki has already sent a warning to the department saying he will ensure that Nyayo House is cleaned up.

Referring to it as a crime scene, Prof Kindiki said the delays in passport issuance is all because of corruption.

“We will seal off Nyayo House and name it a scene of crime. How do Kenyans cue from 6am? It won’t be business as usual. We must clean up Nyayo house,” said Prof Kindiki.

He said he had been informed that the passport backlog was at 58,000 and the Immigration department was processing just 5,000 passports on a daily basis.

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