The Ministry of Interior and National Administration has unveiled plans to establish 14 new passport application and collection centres across Nairobi and eight counties in a major decentralisation drive aimed at ending the chronic congestion at Nyayo House.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the new centres will be rolled out in phases beginning January 2026, starting with six locations in Nairobi – Westlands, Upper Hill, Makadara, Kiserian, Athi River, and Thika – followed by eight regional hubs in Malindi, Voi, Kwale, Isiolo, Machakos, Lodwar, Narok, and Siaya.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Nyayo House Immigration headquarters on December 2, 2025, Murkomen said the move will cut passport processing time from the current average of six to eight months to under 21 days in most cases.
“For too long, Kenyans have endured long queues, early morning vigils, and frustrating delays just to get a passport,” Murkomen told journalists. “We are taking services closer to the people. By mid-2026, no Kenyan should need to travel to Nyayo House unless for very specialised services.”
The CS revealed that the six Nairobi satellite centres will be hosted in existing Huduma Centres and county government offices, with full biometric capture equipment and printing capabilities. The regional centres will follow the same model, with Malindi, Voi, and Kwale serving the Coast, Isiolo and Machakos covering Eastern and Central, Lodwar and Narok handling the North Rift and South Rift, and Siaya anchoring Nyanza.
Principal Secretary for Immigration Julius Bitok said the ministry has already procured 42 new live-capture kits and 18 high-speed passport printers worth Sh940 million for the first phase.
“We are not just adding desks; we are replicating the full Nyayo House experience in these new locations,” Bitok said. “Applicants will submit, pay, get biometrics captured, and collect their passports from the same centre without coming to Nairobi.”
Current data shows Nyayo House processes an average of 4,200 applications daily against a capacity of 2,500, creating a backlog of over 180,000 pending passports. The new centres are projected to add 3,000 daily processing slots nationwide.
Westlands Huduma Centre manager Caroline Njeri welcomed the plan, saying the facility already handles over 1,000 national ID and birth certificate applications daily. “Adding passports will be seamless,” Njeri said. “We have space, power backup, and security. Residents of Parklands, Westlands, Kitisuru, and Spring Valley will no longer wake up at 3 a.m. to queue at Nyayo House.”
In Thika, Kiambu County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha said the new centre at the county headquarters will serve Thika, Ruiru, Juja, and Gatundu residents. “This is long overdue,” Nkanatha said. “We have over 40,000 pending passport applications from this region alone.”
The decentralisation extends to coastal and northern counties previously forced to travel hundreds of kilometres. Malindi Sub-County Commissioner David Kosgei said the new centre will be hosted at the Malindi Huduma Centre. “From Malindi to Lamu, people have been spending three days and Sh15,000 just to apply for a passport,” Kosgei said. “This will be a game-changer for tourism workers and fishermen who need travel documents regularly.”
Similar enthusiasm was expressed in Lodwar, where Turkana County, where Governor Jeremiah Lomurkai said the centre will be a major boost for cross-border trade with South Sudan and Ethiopia.
The ministry has allocated Sh2.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year for the decentralisation programme, including staff training, equipment, and security upgrades.
Immigration Director General Evelyn Cheluget said online applications will continue, with applicants now able to choose their preferred collection centre during submission.
“We are also increasing printing capacity at Nyayo House from 3,000 to 8,000 passports per day by March 2026,” Cheluget announced.
The announcement has been welcomed by travel agents and the diaspora community. Kenya Association of Travel Agents chairperson Agnes Mucuha said the move will ease pressure on Kenyans abroad seeking emergency travel documents.
President William Ruto, in a statement from State House, praised the ministry for the initiative. “We promised to make government services accessible,” Ruto posted on X. “Taking passport services to the people is part of that promise delivered.”
The first six centres are expected to be operational by March 2026, with the remaining eight following by December 2026.
