Nyeri and Malindi to Get Full Passport Registration Centres

Passport registration services are set to expand to Nyeri and Malindi as the government moves to establish fully operational centres in the two towns.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the plans after meeting senior officials from the Directorate of Immigration Services on Tuesday. Preparations for the new centres are already under way, with the government seeking to make passport services more accessible to applicants outside Nairobi.

The expansion is part of efforts to decentralise immigration services and reduce pressure on central offices. Immigration authorities already operate passport centres in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kericho, Embu, Bungoma, Kisii, Nakuru and Garissa.

The addition of Nyeri and Malindi would extend the network to more parts of Central Kenya and the northern coast. Although immigration offices are already operating in the two towns, they do not currently offer the full range of passport registration services.

Applicants who need biometric capture and other essential stages of the passport process must therefore travel to Nairobi. The planned upgrades would allow the two offices to handle the complete registration process locally, reducing the need for applicants to make the journey to the capital.

The expanded services are expected to benefit Kenyans travelling abroad for employment, education and business. Local access to passport registration would also reduce travel costs and other logistical challenges associated with completing the application process.

The ministry also reviewed measures to improve passenger movement at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Murkomen said the installation of electronic gates is still under way as part of efforts to modernise border management and speed up passenger clearance.

The e-gates are expected to help reduce queues at the airport as passenger numbers increase. The system is intended to improve the efficiency of immigration checks while maintaining border security.

The meeting also considered measures to support the government's overseas employment programme. Officials confirmed that the National Employment Authority has secured a dedicated desk at the Nairobi immigration offices to help streamline processes related to overseas employment.