Kenyan Travelers Hit Hard: Govt Scraps Affordable Passport Options, Forces KSh 12,500 Choice
Kenya’s Immigration Department has sparked outrage by removing the 50-page passport option from the eCitizen portal, leaving applicants with no choice but to opt for the pricier 66-page booklet at KSh 12,500.
“The 50-page passports are still valid, but the government is prioritizing issuance of the 66-page booklets to manage inventory and streamline the passport application process,” the source disclosed.
This move echoes past shortages but hits harder amid rising travel demands.
Recent Changes on eCitizen
Social media buzz and user reports confirm the 50-page option vanished recently from the online application system.
A Facebook post highlighted: “Government has revoked 50 page Passport from Ecitizen. The only available passport is 66 pages which costs Ksh 12500.”Reddit threads echo this, with users noting only the 66-page “C Series” remains selectable.
While official sites like immigration.go.ke still list fees including KSh 9,550 for 50 pages, the eCitizen portal dictates real-time availability.
This discrepancy frustrates applicants seeking mid-range options.
Passport Fee Breakdown
Current standard fees, per government gazettes and portals, include:Lost or mutilated passports cost KSh 20,000 extra.
Current Kenyan passport fees vary by booklet size and type, with the standard Ordinary A Series offering 34 pages at KSh 7,500.
The Ordinary B Series provides 50 pages for KSh 9,500 to KSh 9,550.
Ordinary C Series, now the primary option on eCitizen at 66 pages, costs KSh 12,500.
Diplomatic passports with 50 pages are priced higher at KSh 15,000.
Replacing lost or mutilated passports incurs an additional KSh 20,000 fee across types.
Express processing adds KSh 30,000 regardless of pages.
Express service adds KSh 30,000.
Why the Shift? Supply and Demand
Past delays stemmed from supplier issues for smaller booklets, pushing users to 66-page stock.
Recent arrivals of 396,000 booklets aimed to ease backlogs, but options remain limited. Critics argue it funnels revenue, as more pages mean higher fees without proportional value for casual travelers.
Frequent flyers might welcome extra pages for visas, but most Kenyans view it as coercive pricing.
Broader Impacts on Kenyans
This comes amid economic pressures, hiking costs for job seekers abroad, students, and ffamilie.
Diaspora remittances and tourism suffer if basic travel barriers rise. This has covered similar policy shifts, underscoring government efforts to modernize but often at public expense.
Check eCitizen daily for option restores.Track status via SMS to 22222.
“Applicants with pending applications and those who are yet to collect their passports can track the status of their applications by sending an SMS with their eCitizen application reference code to 22222.”
Upgrade pending apps online if needed, no office visit required.
“The issuance of passports will be prioritised on a first-in-first-out basis. Applicants with pending 34-page passports who urgently need to travel are advised to upgrade their applications to the 50-page booklet via the eCitizen portal. No physical visit to Immigration offices is necessary to apply for the upgrade,” he stated.
Contact Immigration PS office for urgent cases.Advocates call for transparency on stock and fee justifications.