New Garissa passport office to ease travel for Northeastern residents

President William Ruto during the opening of new passport office in Garissa. [PCS]

President William Ruto opened a passport office in Garissa, saying the facility would improve access to government services for residents of Northeastern Kenya.

The office, located in Garissa town, will serve Mandera, Wajir, and parts of Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, and Isiolo.

Ruto said decentralising passport services will cut costs and travel time for applicants who previously sought documents in Nairobi or other regional offices.

"This office ensures that all Kenyans, regardless of location, can access government services conveniently," said Ruto.

Garissa becomes the tenth passport application centre in Kenya and the third opened under Ruto's administration after Kericho and Bungoma.

Other centres include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Embu, Eldoret and Kisii.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said eliminating the vetting process for national ID applicants in border counties will increase demand for passports in the region.

"Yesterday in Wajir, the president signed a proclamation vacating vetting for ID cards in North Eastern and other border counties. With this new office, we expect a surge in passport applications," noted Bitok.

The facility will have a dedicated migrant labour desk to fast-track applications for those seeking jobs abroad.

It will also facilitate travel for around 2,000 Hajj pilgrims and those seeking medical treatment, education, business, and leisure visits.

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Chair Hassan Ole Naado said over half of Kenya's Hajj pilgrims come from Northeastern Kenya.

He noted that Kenya has been allocated 4,500 Hajj slots this year, requiring visas by April ahead of the May pilgrimage.

The government previously centralised passport printing in 2014 to align with International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines for document security.

However, investments in an integrated e-passport system have allowed the Directorate of Immigration to decentralise application services while maintaining security standards.