The Kenyan Ambassador to Qatar H E Paddy C Ahenda has said the new e-passport renewal facility is a welcome development as it will ease the process for many Kenyans. Speaking to The Peninsula, the Ambassador noted the passport renewal scheme would begin soon. The Ambassador noted that the an increase in the diplomatic engagements with the State of Qatar led the Kenyan Embassy in Doha recently to a larger and more spacious building to cater to the need of the growing diplomatic engagements and population of Kenyans in Qatar. Currently, over 35,000 Kenyans are living and working in Qatar.

“This is a significant step by the government because this has been a big problem for the community. Kenyans had to go back home to get their passport renewed, and it is an expensive process. It is a relief that the government brought the passport programme here,” Ahenda told The Peninsula. Kenyan expatriates can now fill in an application at the eCitizen portal and then proceed to the Embassy for their biometrics to be taken. “We have our staff here already. The team is here, and we moved to a bigger space because more Diplomatic staff had been posted to cater to the r a p i d l y e x p a n d i n g engagements.

We know with the e-passport facility coming soon, we will have more people to attend. The team has been here for over three months. It’s just the IT team left to fix the necessary connections with Kenya to gene r a t e t h e numbers needed after taking the biometric. The team could have started earlier, but the disruption caused by COVID-19 led to a delay in their arrival, but soon the service will commence,” he added.

The Kenyan Immigration Department announced the Kenyan East African Community e-Passports (e-Passports) launch in 2017. The new e-passport contains a small embedded electronic microprocessor chip containing the passport holder’s biometric information, which ensures that the passport was not illegally replicated.

The Ambassador asked all Kenyans to be vigilant as the launch date for the e-passport will be communicated to all Kenyans in Qatar through the Embassy’s official website and the media.

SOURCE: THEPENINSULAQATAR