Kenyans with old passports have until February this year to acquire the new digital ones after the government extended the deadline by 12 months.
Those who will not have acquired the new passport will be barred from travelling effective March 1, 2021.
Interior Secretary Fred Matiang’i that the extension was occasioned by the 1.8 million Kenyans mostly living abroad who are yet to replace their passports with the new East African Community biometric passport.
Digital passports were launched in 2017 as part of the country’s commitment to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. The e-passports have more security features than the previous one.
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The Kenyan passport is issued to Kenyan citizens in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and as provided for in the Kenya Citizens and Immigration Act that commenced on 30 August 2011.
In addition issuance process is regulated by Legal Notice No. 64 (the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations, 2012).
If eligible, an individual can apply for a New Passport, Renewal Passport and Replacement Passport. Passports are issued by the Department of Immigration.
The department is under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. Kenyan passports are usually used as a form of ID as well and would be rated as second to The Kenyan national ID card.
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