Kenya’s immigration department has rolled out e-passports to replace the current generation of manual travel documents, which will be phased out in two years. The new documents will bear the words ‘East African Community’ as well as ‘Kenya’ in line with the drive for regional integration.
The A, B, C series and diplomatic passports will cost Ksh4,550, Ksh6,050, Ksh7,550 and Ksh7,550, respectively and payments will be made via mobile phone or credit cards. The immigration department clarified the current passports will however remain in use for two years to allow for transition.
The rollout is expected to cost the government Ksh500 million and is being facilitated by a technology installed by the Pakistani Government. The new machines will now print 2,000 new passports daily up from the 800 and it will take new applicants eight days to get the documents and three days for those renewing.
Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Phylis Kandie (East African Community), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and energy’s Charles Keter were present at the launch today.
Key features of the e-passports
The e-passports feature a microchip loaded with data about the holder. “Kenya has fully complied with standards and guidelines set by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and EAC Chief of immigration on travel document design, processing and issuance,” said Matiang’i.
He said the new document is highly secure and difficult to forge as it is enhanced with automated fingerprint verification system that guards against multiple passport issuance to the same person, thus minimising identity theft, data skimming and forgery.
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Dr Matiang’i said the e-passport will ease travel, especially through use of automated border clearances or e-gates, automated issuance of the boarding passes and faster travel arrangements with airlines and immigration checks worldwide. “The deployment of the e-passport system will definitely strengthen the integrity and restore international confidence and rating of Kenyan passports.”
Dr Matiang’i warned immigration officials against malpractices and revealed 12 of them had been sacked over various offences including corruption. He said plans are underway to synchronise identification documents for security reasons and challenged the department of national registration to fast track their programmes to help realise this goal.
Kenya becomes the second country in East Africa after Burundi to issue e-passports to its citizens.
Those applying for the documents will do so as usual in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.
Ms Kandie said e-passports have become a reality 17 years late. To get the e-passport, applicants will be required to apply for a replacement passport and return their current ones. The e-passport will have an electronic chip holding the same information as the old version, alongside a biometric identifier, digital photograph of the holder and security features to prevent unauthorised use and forgery.
The e-passport will cost the same as the current passport, said director of immigration services Maj Gen (Rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa. “Applicants will be required to appear in person at our offices for photographing and finger prints,” Maj-Gen (Rtd) Kihalangwa said. “It facilitates faster clearance of travelers at immigration checks. It will allow the government to offer world-class consular services to Kenyans.”
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The current ordinary EAC passports will also be phased out but passports with visas will remain valid. The move is part of the government’s shift to e-services to improve efficiency and seal security loopholes. For instance, since 2015, all foreigners visiting Kenya were required to apply for visas online through e-visa system.
The government also rolled out the e-citizen, a one stop portal for information and service to help Kenyans get fast transactions online conveniently. All government agencies are interlinked through a new computer system — Integrated Population Registration System — for personal information of individuals.
