Kenyans who have secured jobs abroad can now obtain passports within a shorter time after the government accelerated processing and tightened systems to remove delays and fraud in the issuance process.
Speaking during the 19th Ambassadors and High Commissioners Conference in Nairobi on Saturday, March 28, President William Ruto said the government has reorganised the travel document system to prioritise applicants with confirmed employment opportunities overseas.
He explained that the reforms are part of a wider push to support labour migration, noting that Kenya continues to position its workforce as a key contributor to global markets.
Ruto said the country has been working to clean up the recruitment space to protect citizens from exploitation by intermediaries who previously took advantage of job seekers.
"We also decided that because we have one of the best human capital in the world, we use it as part of our export. We are cleaning up the channel for accessing jobs overseas. We had to clean up the system because we had too many agencies and brokers who defrauded people of their money. We are still reorganising that space," he said.
He added that improvements in the system now allow those with verified job offers to access travel documents within a much shorter period.
"With what we have done, we have also cut down the time for accessing travel papers, including passports and what have you. We have a clean channel for people with employment opportunities abroad. Today it takes two days for those with employment abroad," he said.
The government had previously pointed to delays in passport issuance caused by limited supply of 34-page passport booklets, which are printed abroad due to security requirements.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura explained that the shortages contributed to backlogs but said new consignments of the booklets were expected to arrive and stabilise the situation.
He advised applicants with urgent travel needs to consider applying for the 50-page passport, which costs Sh6,050, as a temporary measure while supply issues are addressed.
Mwaura also acknowledged challenges in the issuance of national identity cards following a court ruling that stopped the production of third-generation IDs. He noted that the government has appealed the decision and plans to resume full-scale production once the legal process is completed.
