NAIROBI, Kenya – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to establish passport registration centres in Nyeri and Malindi as the government moves to decentralise access to passport services.
Murkomen said on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, that the two centres were steadily being set up following a high-level meeting with officials from the Directorate of Immigration Services.
The move is expected to reduce the need for residents of the two towns and surrounding areas to travel to Nairobi to access passport services.
Nyeri, Malindi Offices To Offer Full Passport Services
Murkomen said Nyeri and Malindi already offer various immigration services, but passport registration and biometric capture are currently being handled through Nairobi.
The government plans to equip and upgrade the two offices to provide full passport services, including biometric capture.
“We are well on course with the decentralisation of passport issuance, bringing this crucial document closer to where citizens live,” Murkomen said.
The CS added that regional passport offices are currently operational in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kericho, Embu, Bungoma, Kisii, Nakuru and Garissa.
“Malindi and Nyeri [are] coming up,” he said.
Government Expands Regional Passport Network
The expansion forms part of the government’s broader effort to decentralise passport issuance and make immigration services more accessible across the country.
Once operational, the Nyeri and Malindi centres will add to the existing network of regional offices serving citizens outside Nairobi.
The centres are expected to handle more stages of the passport application process, including biometric data capture, reducing the number of applicants required to travel to the capital.
JKIA E-Gates To Speed Up Passenger Processing
The meeting also reviewed measures aimed at improving passenger processing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Murkomen said the government was continuing with the installation of electronic gates, commonly known as E-gates, at the airport.
“Our other reforms include the ongoing installation of E-gates at JKIA to facilitate faster processing of travellers,” he said.
The technology is intended to speed up immigration processing for passengers passing through the country’s main international gateway.
NEA Gets Desk At Immigration Offices
The government has also established a National Employment Authority (NEA) desk at the Immigration offices in Nairobi.
Murkomen said the desk would support faster facilitation of the government’s job export programme.
The initiative is intended to improve coordination between immigration services and employment authorities as Kenya facilitates citizens travelling abroad for employment opportunities.
