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The Government has launched a 60-day rapid results initiative programme to expedite issuance of citizenship documents.
Addressing the press at Immigration headquarters in Nyayo House, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said that more than 25,000 applications are pending at the Immigration offices.
According to Matiang’i, the initiative will help clear the backlog at Nyayo house where the applications are pending.
“Now that our constitution allows for dual citizenship, it is important for all those Kenyans to apply and regain their citizenship and all applicants have to follow the guidelines laid down in the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act of 2011,” he said.
The initiative also applies to people who were born in Kenya but relinquished their citizenship by denouncing it to become citizens of another country before the new constitution.
Matiang’i said the Government is keen to re-unite the affected with their families adding that he has requested the Attorney General to simplify the process.
He said lack of documents such as National ID cards and passports, denies people their right to education as well as gainful employment.
“They apply for visas and cannot engage in gainful employment unless they are issued with permits and passes,” he said.
Some 5,000 people have since re-applied but the process has been marred by bureaucratic bottlenecks in part attributed to mandatory security checks as well as slow and cumbersome internal processes.
The government wants as many people as possible processed by the end of year.
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho said the 60-day RRI will ensure expeditious processing of applications of Kenyans who wish to regain their citizenship having lost it due to the restrictions of the repealed constitution on dual citizenship.
“We are also issuing spouses of Kenyan citizens and their descendants with legal identity documents to stabilize the families. Some 500 qualified foreign investors will also receive lawful permanent residence status to spur our economic growth and create thousands of jobs for locals,” he said.
The process is set to be expedited due to the capacity adjustment in the immigration quality control though each document will be subjected to rigorous background checks.
The event was also attended by Trade and Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina and the director of immigration services, Alexander Muteshi.
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