Kenya to Issue Passports in 72 Hours Under New Reforms

Kenya will accelerate passport processing for citizens seeking overseas employment, with documents to be issued within 72 hours, President William Ruto has announced.

The declaration was made on 28 March during the Ambassadors and High Commissioners’ Conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. The President said the reform would create a more efficient system for those pursuing opportunities abroad, reducing processing times to two or three days and addressing long-standing delays.

The changes form part of broader efforts to improve immigration services. The government has installed two high-speed printers capable of producing more than 10,000 passports per day, which is twice the current average demand.

Official information on the eCitizen portal, however, still indicates processing times of ten working days for first-time applicants and five days for renewals. While some applicants report receiving passports within a week, delays persist, particularly at high-demand centres such as Nyayo House in Nairobi, where securing biometric appointments can slow the process.

The reforms also support a wider labour export programme. Since 2022, the government has worked to clear a backlog that once exceeded 700,000 applications, with some applicants previously waiting up to six months. Authorities state that improvements in processing have enabled more than 540,000 Kenyans to take up employment abroad.

Kenya’s passport has also improved in global rankings. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, it rose from 73rd position in late 2025 to 64th worldwide, making it the strongest passport in East Africa. It now ranks ahead of Tanzania and Uganda and is among the top ten in Africa.