Kenyans to receive IDs within 10 days starting October, PS Bitok

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok presents Identification documents in Machakos on Monday, September 16. [Courtesy, Immigration]

Starting next month, Kenyans applying for new ID cards will receive the document within ten days, Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has said.

Bitok explained that by then, live capture equipment will have been deployed in Huduma Centers and National Registration Bureau (NRB) offices across the country.

In addition, NRB’s printing capacity will be enhanced following the recent acquisition of two new printers.

“It will now take no more than ten working days from the date of application, down from the previous 21 days, to get your ID. We want Kenyans to acquire their IDs as quickly and conveniently as possible,” said Bitok.

The PS was speaking in Katoloni, Machakos County, during this year’s World ID Day celebrations.

Machakos Member of Parliament Caleb Mule, who was in attendance, urged the government to open more NRB and Civil Registration Services (CRS) offices to reduce the need for residents to travel long distances for services.

“Our citizens are travelling long distances in search of identity documents. For instance, residents of Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado, and Kitui counties currently face the burden of traveling to Embu or Nairobi for passports, which is costly and time-consuming," Mule stated.