Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has revealed that more than 57,000 passports are lying uncollected at the immigration offices.
Speaking during a visit by the National Assembly committee on regional integration on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Kipsang revealed that the crucial travel documents are lying uncollected at the various collection centres in the country.
Members of the Committee on Regional Integration, led by the chairperson, Irene Mayaka, visited the immigration department to assess reforms on infrastructural system upgrades introduced to improve the timely processing of passports.
Streamlining passport issuance
“In 2024, we issued 621,805 passports and have successfully streamlined the passport issuance process. As of 9th June 2025, despite having notified applicants by text messages, we have 57,334 uncollected passports,” Kipsang said.
The PS also outlined several reforms implemented by the department to improve service delivery, ranging from the acquisition of two high-end passport personalisation machines, procurement of 1 million passport booklets, recruitment of 286 officers and in-house training of officers on integrity and customer care, among others.
However, members of the committee called for faster processing of work permits and permanent residence for foreigners.
Concerns were raised by the members over the large number of uncollected passports, with the members urging the department to adopt more proactive channels of communication to reach out to the applicants.
“Some of these passports could belong to Kenyans seeking job opportunities abroad. Some of them apply through Cybers and may not even have mobile phones. Don’t just sit and operate in your offices, go out of your way,” Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia suggested.
Mayaka, however, emphasised the importance of leveraging existing networks to disseminate information to reach out to Kenyans, including using members of parliament.
Kazi Majuu Programme
“MPs have established channels of communication with their constituents. You may use them to reach out to the populace,” Mayaka said.
The committee is expected to conduct a fact-finding visit to the passport section to scrutinise the passport application process, the collection, and the production areas.
The findings come just hours after President William Ruto revealed that 400,000 Kenyan youth had been provided with jobs abroad.
“I have formed the National Employment Authority, and I have announced, but I don’t know why people don’t listen. Every month, 10,000 youth leave the country to go work abroad,” Ruto said on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
“400,000 young people have gone to work outside Kenya. Let us look for opportunities, instead of being people who complain, let us be part of the solution,” Ruto added.
