The government says Kenyans will still be able to renew or replace the old generation passports even after the November 30 deadline.
In a press statement, Director General Alexander Muteshi stated that the exercise would continue in all passport application centres locally and at missions abroad.
“Renewal/replacement of the old generation Kenya passport will continue normally in all our passport application centers locally, and in our missions abroad after this deadline,” he said.
According to Muteshi, Kenya will fully migrate to the new passports from December 1.
“The Directorate of Immigration Services wishes to remind the general public that the deadline for phasing out of the old generation Kenya passport is 30 November 2022,” he said.
Kenya launched the e-passport system in September 2017 in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) document 9303 and the East African Community Summit resolution.
In November 2021, the EAC Council of ministers in a meeting held in Arusha agreed to do away with the old-generation passports for all member states by November 2022.
The new e-passport contains the holder’s biodata and aims to enhance efficiency and do away with any security loopholes.
It will enable the EAC member states including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to enter and exit the member countries freely.