Kenyans with pending passport applications and collections should brace for further delays after the government, through the State Department of Immigration Services, announced the suspension of the services.

In a statement on Tuesday, April 30, the Immigration Department attributed the suspension to a system failure which was being addressed.

“We regret to inform our clients that we are currently experiencing a downtime that has affected our normal passport application receiving and collection services,” reads the statement in part.

“Our engineers are working to resolve the issue and ensure the resumption of normal services as soon as possible,” the statement adds.

Affected applicants were informed that alternative dates would be communicated as soon as possible.

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The interruption comes weeks after the government announced that the process of acquiring a passport would be 21 days from the date of application.

Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said that the state has acquired new printers and passport printing machines to ensure a smoother and faster passport issuance process.

On previous occasions, the state has attributed the delays to the use of an old printer and a shortage of printing booklets.

The delays have seen some people miss out on job opportunities while others have been unable to access necessary medical care.

Bitok noted that the relevant departments were intensifying their operations to process and print passports to clear the backlog caused by a surge in demand.