Plans to set up an immigration office in Kilifi County are underway, a move that is expected to facilitate the process of obtaining passports for local residents.
While commenting on the matter, Kilifi Deputy County Commissioner David Lusava noted that the new facility, a State Department for the Interior and Citizen Services project, would rescue the residents from the long and expensive trips that they have to take to Mombasa and Nairobi for passport applications.
“The Kilifi Immigration Office will be a one-stop centre for a resident to come and do all the activities of getting a passport, he or she can apply, the documents can be processed and collected all here in Kilifi. Kilifi residents will no longer have to go to the Mombasa or Nairobi centres through the Kilifi Immigration Office,” Lusava said.
Currently, residents willing to travel abroad are required to first make an application through the eCitizen platform. After that, they have to travel to either Mombasa or Nairobi for biometric capture and collection of documents. The Malindi office, which is the location of the newly formed office, is expected to make the process more accessible and user-friendly.
Lusava also pointed out that the move comes as part of the government’s effort to decentralize various departments and improve access to citizens throughout the country.
Malindi International Airport is the main point of entry for both domestic and international travelers to the region. Therefore, the planned immigration office is expected to be an addition to the airport’s increasing traffic by providing travel facilitation services in Kilifi County.
