Immigration: This is who will be given priority in e-passport application

The Immigration Department has now stated that specific groups of people will be given priority during application for the new e-passport ahead of the August 31, deadline.

This comes after a story recently aired on Citizen TV showing long queues at the Immigration Department headquarters in Nyayo House witnessed every day in the recent past from as early as 4am.

Speaking outside Nyayo House early Tuesday morning, Immigration Principal Secretary Gordon Kihalangwa said those applying for the e-passports just for the sake of having them will not be attended to.

The PS stated that only those with urgent engagements outside the country will be served, further adding that the rest will have to wait for the lapse of the deadline to get their passports.

“It is your constitutional right to have a passport, but because we have a deadline touching on some people, we must give them first priority,: he said.

“For that matter, those people who are renewing their passports from machine readable to the e-passport get priority.”

He added that persons with medical issues will be given the second priority but they will need to provide documents from qualified doctors explaining their conditions and the need to get treatment outside the country.

PS Kihalangwa also said Kenyans going for conferences or seminars or pilgrimage abroad will be served but only after providing the relevant documentation.

“The other catergory is people going to school abroad, and you must show which school you’re going to,” he added.

“If you’re not in any of those categories listed, go home and build the nation from wherever you are.”