The Immigration and Citizen Services directorate under the Ministry of Interior is planning to put up an integrated border management service, digitisation, facial recognition, e-gates, passenger name record (PNR) and advance passenger indexing (API) projects.
The new e-passport contains the holder’s biodata and is aimed at enhancing efficiency and remove any security loopholes.
This is in line with the country’s plan to fully migrate to the use of the new East African Community biometric e-passport, doing away with the old generation passports.
Immigration Director General Alexander Muteshi made the revelations while appearing before the Senate National Security and Defence committee chaired by Baringo Senator William Cheptumo.
“The draft policy has been prepared awaiting submission to Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki.” Muteshi submitted.
The DG said they are waiting for the new Immigration Services Principal Secretary is sworn in and they will move with speed to enact a Migration Policy aimed at streamlining the role of immigration in national security and development.
Meanwhile, the DG decried that the cash-strapped directorate is grappling is facing acute shortage of passport printing booklets due to lack of money.
Effectively, Kenyans who are seeking to obtain the crucial document will have to wait a little longer.
Currently, the directorate requires Sh150million to purchase booklets for printing passports but the National Treasury is yet to disburse the money despite the directorate having requested the latter to allocate them Sh300 million to digitise all its processes.
Muteshi said Immigration officials in missions abroad are working in poor conditions and are almost miserable owing to non-payment of their dues.
“I received a call from the Ambassador that an officer in Tel Aviv-Israel was on Tuesday last week hospitalised because of depression due to delays in payment of salary.” Muteshi said.
