Kenya’s passport issuance dropped to a four-year low in 2025, with only 393,567 passports issued. This figure represents a 36.7% decline from the previous year, when 621,794 passports were issued.
The decline raised concerns over persistent delays affecting Kenyans seeking travel documents. The government had invested in modernizing the passport production system and expanding service points to improve efficiency.
Despite these efforts, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics noted that passport applications remained high. Approximately 1.8 million applications were recorded annually, with about 5,000 applications submitted daily.
The government hired an additional 286 officers to assist with passport processing. They also procured 1 million passport booklets to meet demand.
Officials have not confirmed the reasons behind the significant drop in issuance. It remains unclear if this reduction was driven by lower demand or ongoing processing challenges.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has reaffirmed that all transactions are conducted exclusively through its official portal. NIS warned against fraudulent platforms for passport application payments and stated it has not authorized any third parties to act as intermediaries for these payments.
NIS is currently investigating claims of irregularities in its own passport application process. The situation highlights ongoing challenges faced by immigration services across different nations.
