Kenya Government Opens New Immigration Centers
The Kenya government has opened four new Immigration centers in the country and six others in the diaspora as it seeks to relive obstruction in the issuance of the new E-passports ahead of the deadline.
Mr Alex Muteshi who is the Director-General of Immigration in Kenya said the government has also opened three centers in Europe – Berlin, Paris and London. another one in Washington DC in the United States, in the Gulf city of Dubai, and in Johannesburg, South Africa. the new stations are located in Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret and Embu in Kenya.
He also added that “The four local centers are now operational, but will be officially be launched next week by the Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i. Those in the diaspora will also be opened soon to help Kenyans living there acquire e-passports easily.
Mr Muteshi mentioned that the centers will be serving at least 1,500 new applicants daily to help relieve the pressure and obstruction at its headquarters in Nyayo House, Nairobi.
The switch to e-passport began in August 2017 with old travel documents set to become unusable on September 1, 2019.
As the deadline emerge long queues have been witnessed at Nyayo House, as Kenyans line up to apply for the e-passports.
Changing document from the old ones has also been a torment for Kenyans living in the diaspora with many grumbling of lack of the Immigration services and some being pressured to travel back home to apply for new passports.