I am gearing up to renew my Kenyan passport to the new e-generation one. This is because, by 31st August 2019, no Kenyan will be able to travel outside the country with the old generation passport under a directive from the government. Some countries have already stopped recognising the old passport, e.g. Schengen countries.
My old passport which I paid KES 3,500 would have been expiring in 2022. Upgrading to the new e-passport will cost me KES 4,550. To be quite frank, I am not looking forward to this renewal process. This is because despite having to pay again without my old passport expiring, I have macrophobia (self-diagnosis). This is the fear of queues and waiting.
Throughout the year I have been closely monitoring the experiences of other Kenyans renewing their passports and it keeps discouraging me. The lines at the immigration office, Harambee House have been crazy. Kenyans have been flocking to their offices from 3:00 a.m. Of course, in true Kenyan fashion, we wait until the last few months to apply for anything that has a deadline, flashing back to the huduma number registration madness. This however does not excuse the government’s lack of efficiency when it comes to mass registrations.
I can’t picture myself waking up at 3:00 a.m. to go queue at 4:00 a.m. and when the immigration offices open at 6:00 a.m. and the queues start flowing and finally it is my time with the officer at 10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. I am informed that the office has reached its capacity for applications, and they request me to come the following day”. A whole 8 -9 hours wasted on queuing, that I cannot recover. This is the equivalent of taking 6 flights from Nairobi to Mombasa. Minus the cost implication and delays if any. I might as well apply for your passport to be renewed in Mombasa but my tax bracket would not enable me.
Therefore, my best bet would be taking a road trip to Embu county, because the immigration offices there are faster, less congested and more efficient. The county is 2 hours 16 minutes away from Nairobi, and it would cost KES 1,500 (to and fro) if I shuttled there. If I break it down I would spend 2 hours 16 minutes getting to Nakuru, at most an hour for the renewal process, thirty minutes to eat and another 2 hours 16 minutes back to Nairobi, we could add an extra hour in the eventuality of any traffic. This would take approximately 7 hours and a few minutes, if everything went smoothly, still less time than I would take at the Immigration Office in Nairobi. I would technically still have to take a whole day off from work for both scenarios, but with the Embu option I would be guaranteed my passport renewal will go through in one day. And added value I would be touring a different county from Nairobi #TembeaKenya.
I will write about my experience and which option I select, once I master up the courage to renew my passport. Let's hope no immediate travel pops up soon.
Wish me luck.
