NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 18 – Kenya is set to begin issuing e-passports beginning September, Immigration department has said.
The upgrade is expected to facilitate faster clearance at ports of entry and exit and will apply to new applications/renewals before the current passport is phased out.
However, Application procedure will remain the same.
“The difference between the current passport and the e-Passport is that the e-passport will have a chip that stores the passport holder’s biometric information, said the department, “the department announced.
Through the ecitizen portal, applicants pay Sh4,550 for a 32-page passport while 48-page passport costs Sh6,050.
To this end, the e-Passport will replace the ordinary passports used, as well as the EAC passport within the next two years.
“Smart gates that will be used alongside the e-passports will be introduced at our airports,” the department added.
The issuance of the e-passports, which have delayed for two years, is part of a wider East Africa strategy to enhance integration with the passports set to be rolled out in the other EAC countries in the coming months.
Nearly 50 countries have issued e-passports to their citizens including Ghana, Gabon, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritius.
