Residents of Garissa and surrounding counties can now breathe a sigh of relief following the opening of a new passport office in Garissa town.
This new facility, which will also offer other vital Immigration services, was officially inaugurated by President William Ruto.
The launch is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to ensure that all citizens have equal access to essential government services, regardless of their geographical location.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, President Ruto emphasized that the new office represents the fulfilment of an electoral pledge made by his administration to restore passport printing services, which were halted in 2014.
The closure of Garissa and other regional passport offices had been due to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) recommendations for centralized passport printing, aimed at enhancing the security of travel documents and preventing forgeries.
However, the introduction of the modern and integrated e-Passport Management System has paved the way for the decentralization of the passport application process, allowing regional offices like Garissa to resume services while adhering to ICAO’s global passport security standards.
The new Immigration office in Garissa is set to benefit not only residents of Garissa County but also those in Mandera, Wajir, and parts of Tana River, Lamu, Kitui, and Isiolo counties.
By bringing services closer to home, applicants in these areas will save both time and money currently spent travelling to Nairobi and other regional offices.
Garissa now becomes the 10th passport application centre in Kenya, and the third to be opened by President Ruto after Kericho and Bungoma.
Other centres include Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Embu, Eldoret, and Kisii. This expansion demonstrates the government’s dedication to improving accessibility and convenience for citizens across the country.
Immigration & Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok highlighted that the reopening of the Garissa office, coupled with the elimination of vetting for national ID card applicants in border counties, would promote fairness and equality in access to identity and registration documents.
The discontinuation of vetting is expected to lead to a significant surge in passport applications at the Garissa office.
In his recent proclamation, President Ruto also signed a directive to stop the vetting process for ID cards in North Eastern and other border countries.
This development is expected to encourage many residents in the region to apply for passports and other services at the newly opened Garissa office.
The office will also feature a dedicated migrant labour desk designed to fast-track passport applications for those seeking job opportunities abroad.
Additionally, it will provide services to approximately 2,000 Hajj pilgrims and travellers seeking passports for medical, educational, business, social, and leisure purposes.
According to Hassan Ole Naado, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), more than 50 per cent of the Hajj pilgrims in Kenya come from the Northeastern region.
This year, Kenya has been allocated 4,500 slots for the Hajj pilgrimage and applicants must secure their visas by April to participate in the religious gathering scheduled for May.
