Nairobi — The Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) has temporarily suspended the booking requirement for passport collection in a move aimed at accelerating the processing of applications.

In a statement Friday, Immigrations Principal Secretary Julius Bitok urged applicants whose names appear on the provided list to collect their passports directly from the stations where they originally submitted their applications.

Those who are unable to pick up their documents immediately will be notified once their passports are ready for collection.

According to Bitok, the decision is part of the Directorate's ongoing efforts to clear the backlog of unprinted passports, which has been a persistent challenge due to the high demand for services.

"The DIS has temporarily suspended booking as a requirement for collecting passports to hasten the process," read the statement by Bitok in part.

"The DIS has provided mechanisms to promote transparency, facilitate self-tracking, and provide prompt feedback."

By removing the need for an appointment to collect passports, DIS hopes to ease the strain on applicants and ensure a smoother, faster experience.

Bitok also announced a raft of new measures taken to address the increasing demand for passports including the procurement of advanced printing technology and the addition of more staff to streamline operations.

Additionally, the Directorate has remodeled passport collection stations to introduce more service counters and improve the overall customer experience.

Bitok asserted that these changes have proven effective in reducing the backlog of unprinted passports, allowing the DIS to expedite the process and meet the growing need for passport services.