A significant number of passports, totaling 58,330, remain uncollected at various Immigration offices nationwide, according to Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok.
The highest number of unclaimed passports, amounting to 24,613, is reported in Nairobi, followed by Embu with 9,584, Kisumu with 6,087, Mombasa with 5,759, Eldoret with 4,538, Nakuru with 4,466, and Kisii with 3,283.
Professor Bitok attributed the backlog to a surge in demand for passports, prompting the government to ramp up printing efforts to address the issue.
Passport applications are being processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given based on the availability of specific passport booklets corresponding to the pages paid for by each applicant.
Bitok urged applicants who have been notified of their passport availability to collect them promptly, emphasizing the need to free up storage space and streamline the process.
