e-Passport Requirements: Kenyans have expressed anger following a set of new requirements applicants must meet before they can get the new generation passports.
In an online interaction the Department of Immigration Services cane under attack from Kenyans who felt that the new requirements are more punitive than evolutionary.
Holders of the old generation passports must acquire the e-passport before the deadline. All the old generation passports will be deemed invalid thereafter. The requirements for applying for the e-passport include a birth certificate and copies of parents’ Identification Cards.
Most Kenyans had an issue with producing a recommender’s ID, which they termed as irrelevant. The department was also bashed for being backward in a digital era considering some of the documents had been verified during issuance of National ID cards.
“These are some of the things that make me hate this Country. I have a National ID. Why do I need all these to get a Passport? I already submitted my Parents documents to get the ID. Isn’t this just wasting people’s time and money?” complained one Twitter user.
“Why don’t you use details of my old passport to the new e-passport and save me all that mystery above”
“Quick question, why should a Kenyan citizen require another Citizen’s recommendation to get a passport?”
“You guys are big time jokers…are you not always ashamed of all those queues at Nyayo house… why not take advantage of technology, where someone can check online the status of his/her passport if is ready or not, than queue for 3 hours only to be told ”come next week again”
“We have people with long dead parents and can’t trace their (parents’) IDs, what happens to them?
“Asking a lot of irrelevant documents just to make it hard.. What a disaster!!!
“Just for the record, we are in the Gregorian calendar year of our Lord Two Thousand and Nineteen. Style up!”
Here are the requirements in full: Original ID and a copy – Original Birth certificate and a copy. -Recommender ID copy -Online filled forms -3 Invoices -3 passport size photos – Parents ID copies.