NAIROBI, Kenya – The government has unveiled plans to expand passport services across Nairobi and several counties in a bid to tackle long-standing delays at Nyayo House, the country’s main Immigration Services headquarters.
According to Interior Ministry officials, the initiative is part of a broader redesign aimed at improving access, shortening wait times, and easing operational bottlenecks that have frustrated thousands of applicants.
Under the plan, new passport application centres will be established in Westlands, Upper Hill, Makadara, Kiserian, Athi River, and Thika to address rising demand in Nairobi and its environs.
The government also intends to decentralise services further, with additional centres planned in Malindi, Voi, Kwale, Isiolo, Machakos, Lodwar, Narok, and Siaya.
“The strategy is designed to reduce travel distances for Kenyans while relieving pressure on the capital’s main passport office,” an official said.
Nyayo House has in recent years struggled to cope with surging applications, often resulting in long queues, system outages, and operational breakdowns.
Data from Immigration Services indicates that an average of 5,000 passport applications are submitted daily—totaling more than 1.8 million applications annually. Backlogs have at times surpassed 700,000 applications.
The spike in demand has been attributed to government-led labour migration initiatives and an increase in international travel among Kenyans.
Last year, the government even enlisted the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to secure passport supplies amid a global shortage of printing materials, highlighting the strain on existing infrastructure.
Officials are optimistic that the expansion and decentralisation of passport services will speed up processing, reduce overcrowding, and bring services closer to residents across the country.
