Counter 17 at the Immigration Department in Kenya stands as the most dreaded, where applicants vacillate between frustration and elation. Only that, the traditional hours-long queues under the scorching sun have been replaced by a more organized system where applicants now sit under a tent in order of arrival, awaiting their turn.
Among the disheartened is Rozy wanjohi, aspiring to pursue an MBA in finance at the University of Alberta in Canada.
Despite applying for her passport in September 2022, Wanjohi finds herself entangled in a frustrating cycle of visits to Nyayo House with no tangible progress.
Approaching Counter 17 around 1:00 pm, I find her on the brink of being served. She showed up at 9.00 am without any prior notification, as has been the norm, hoping for some good news.
“I have missed so many opportunities, and it is honestly frustrating because owning a passport is my right, and I don’t think I should be subjected to such long waits, “she laments.
Since the time Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki announced changes such as the Rapid Response Initiative, which was launched in September this year to speed up the collection of passports, Wanjohi has visited the department seven times, and each time she is told that her passport is at approvals and she will be notified via SMS once it’s printed.
Wanjohi represents so many other Kenyans whose hopes have dwindled as the government boasts of clearing the passport backlog, while a delay in the issuance of some passports continues to raise an uproar among Kenyans on and off the online spaces.
Government’s Position on Passports
In a press conference held on Tuesday, December 5th 2023 and addressed by Permanent Secretary for Immigration, Prof Julius Bitok and the Regional International Committee led by the Chairperson, Hon. Wanjiku Muhia, it was stated that the backlog had been cleared.
In the words of Hon. Muhia, we are here to interact with the Immigration Department to find out how they have fast-tracked the delays in passports, an outcry that was there about three months ago. As a committee, we are happy to see that they had a backlog of about 90,000 passports, and since then, they have been able to clear because they implemented a fast-tracking process of working 24 hours, enabling them to print close to 3500 passports per day.”
She also pointed out that the department was running out of storage space because 50,000 printed passports were yet to be collected.
Who are these 50,000 Kenyans being waited upon to collect passports, and why are there so many Kenyans visiting the Immigration Department and leaving disappointed? What is the actual position of the RRI?
Frustrations due to delays in passport issuance
Noel Cynthia Atieno also applied for her passport in September 2022 and has been following up on it without much success. Every time she visits the department, she is asked to wait for a message that never comes.
“I have honestly lost the strength to follow up on it. I guess I should just focus my energy somewhere else and wait for the message,” she says, disappointed.
Rina Asego (not her real name), a journalist by profession, applied for her passport in March 2023 and, upon declining to pay Kshs.15,000 for biometrics, was thrown in the den of waiting.
She saw a green light in September this year when her biometrics were finally captured, not knowing she was entering a new phase of unforthcoming visits to Nyayo House.
Her aspirations to attend international events remain as she hopes to receive her passport soon.
Anynet Ford missed a work opportunity in Zambia in October 2023 despite her biometrics being captured in August 2023.
“Because of the many visits to Nyayo House and unending frustrations, I have eventually lost my invoice, and I don’t know what will happen next,” she says
Social Media Complaints
On X (formerly Twitter), more complaints from applicants are registered. In a tweet by social media influencer Esther Kazungu, I come across a complaint from Edmund Ngoci, whose application has been pending since June 2022.
Willie Kitheka replies to the tweet, saying, “Was there yesterday. They collect the receipts, and after two hours, this gentleman comes back through that small window, and we have to assemble there, where everyone is disappointed individually after he calls your name out loudly and writes either approval or processing.”
Communication breakdown
Hon. Muhia noted in the presser that the Immigration Department is running out of storage space because 50,000 Kenyans have yet to collect their passports. The question would be: How are these Kenyans supposed to know their passports are ready if they are not notified?
Paul Baraka Nganga applied for his passport in 2021 and only got to collect it in September 2023 because the tracking system wasn’t working, and he was waiting for a notification from the Immigration Department.
When he went to collect it, he was asked why he hadn’t gone earlier because the passport had been printed several months prior.
“Some of us don’t have the luxury of making several visits to Nyayo house to check on the progress of our passport applications because of the nature of our work. This necessitates an efficient tracking system and prompt notifications when the passports are ready,” he states, adding that notifying Kenyans beforehand saves them from unfruitful visits.
Tracking Module
On the tracking module, after the presser held on December 5th 2023, PS Bitok and the Regional International Committee visited the applicants who were seated under the tents at Nyayo House waiting to be served, and a gentleman named Erick Mwau raised a concern in the same line.
“I have come all the way from Machakos to follow up on my children’s passports, yet had there been a working tracking module, I would have used the tracking numbers in my possession to follow up on the progress of the passports online without necessarily having to come here,” He said
He pointed out that in 2007, when he applied for his first passport, there was an online tracking module where they could input their tracking numbers and follow up on the progress of their applications.
“15 years later, and I have to bring my tracking number here? I think we need to look into this process,” Mwau stated
To this, PS Bitok responded that they had noted the concerns and are doing everything possible to ensure that they give Kenyans services in the most convenient way.
“We are going to review the tracking system so that we have a more efficient one that allows you to follow up on the progress of your application online without necessarily having to come here and delay,” PS Bitok said
Hon. Muhia, on the other hand, noted that the technical department had informed them that the tracking module is working unless it is jammed.
She stated she can confirm that it is working because in Kipipiri, where she is a Member of Parliament, they have a student program, and when the students apply for passports, they are able to track the progress of the applications online.
“Even when we are tempted to say the system is not working, we see the applications are at the processing stage. And the system works perfectly at night, probably because there are fewer jams. Keep trying even in the night,” she stated, noting that they would make another visit in a few months to follow up on the progress.
Online Petition on Passport Issuance
Earlier on, after Dr. Amakove Wala put up a petition on change.org calling upon the Immigration Department to streamline passport issuance, Kenyans had raised frustrations on her Facebook Group Wanderlust Diaries about delays in passport issuance, being given booklets with fewer pages than what they applied for without a refund, being asked to give bribes, profiling of some communities and bad attitude from some Immigration officers.
In an interview with Dr Wala, she noted that she had received feedback that there is a great improvement in passport issuance at the Immigration Department, although a number of applicants who had made applications way before are yet to be served.
“I honestly don’t know the order that is being followed to clear the backlog,” she said
Refunds to Applicants
On the issue of booklets, she noted that there are still a number of people who apply for the 66-page booklet but get the one with fewer pages.
“This means that the government is taking extra money from Kenyans, which necessitates the need for the refund place to be instituted,” Dr Wala noted
Speaking to Mrs Florence Mumbi Kiawa, Director of Complaints, Investigations and Legal Services, the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), she noted that after Dr Wala highlighted the issue of Kenyans being given fewer pages booklets than what they applied for and failing to get refunds, their investigations department took up the issue and examined it.
“We did investigations and engaged all the stakeholders. We got to understand there is a problem and did a report where we gave our recommendations,” she states.
Among the recommendations, the Commission ordered an audit of the National Database Registration Authority system for the period of 2021-2023 to identify all passport applicants whose excess payments had not been refunded.
Several months later, no refunds have been made, and the Immigration Department attributes this to a lack of funds.
Delays in passport issuance a funds issue
According to Director Mumbi, upon establishing that delays in passport issuance sometimes result from a lack of funds to fix issues like the breakdown of machines, the commission recommended to the National Treasury and Planning to increase the Immigration department’s budgetary allocation, so that they can sort some of the issues promptly.
During the press conference, Hon. Muhia noted that the Immigration Department had purchased two new printers, urging Kenyans not to worry, for they would get passports in good time.
However, She noted that the backlog continues and called upon Kenyans to be patient, for they prioritise those who have emergency cases like medical, education and work.
“Even though this is the position, we urge Kenyans not to worry, for every passport applicant will get it within a reasonable time,” Hon. Muhia stated.
Having encountered numerous complaints from Kenyans online and offline, I raised a question during the press conference on whether the Rapid Response System achieved its intended purpose, and Hon. Muhia responded that during the meeting they had with the Immigration department before the press conference, they established that it did achieve its purpose and is working perfectly.
This story was developed as part of the Transparency International Kenya- Media Tech Hub Project, 2023.
