Kenya has achieved one of its fastest service overhauls in years, cutting passport processing time from more than six months to just 72 hours, Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has announced.

The dramatic improvement was revealed during the 13th meeting of the Governance and Public Administration Sub-Committee of the National Development Implementation Committee on Friday, December 5.

Omollo described the new turnaround time as “a continental benchmark” and one of the clearest indicators that government service delivery is accelerating after years of complaints, backlogs and system breakdowns.

Massive Reforms Across Security and Administration

The government has also recruited 10,000 new police officers and trained nearly 6,000 chiefs and assistant chiefs, the largest capacity-building programme under the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“We are seeing real results across multiple sectors,” Omollo said.

The committee noted the onboarding of 22,510 government services—from 583 state agencies—onto the e-Citizen platform, bringing nearly the entire public service under a single digital gateway.

Regional and Global Milestones

The meeting also highlighted several diplomatic and economic developments:Somalia formally joined the East African Community, expanding the regional market and security cooperation.

Diaspora remittances surpassed Sh660 billion, expected to hit Sh1 trillion as investment facilitation improves.

Over 400,000 safe overseas jobs were secured through labour agreements, marking Kenya’s strongest migration and employment push yet.

Cabinet Decisions Under Review

Of the 19 Cabinet decisions assessed, 11 per cent were fully implemented while the rest were at “advanced stages.” Some delays were linked to court cases, funding gaps and coordination weaknesses.

Solicitor General Shadrack Mose raised concern over a surge in legal petitions challenging government legislation—60 cases since 2022—most tied to insufficient public participation.

“The committee urged all ministries and agencies to strictly comply with constitutional requirements,” Omollo said.

Key National Projects Near Completion such as:The East Africa Kidney Institute is 99 per cent complete. Kenya Defence Forces continue advancing major national projects, including new hospitals, stadiums and 13 schools in the Kerio Valley.

State Visits Deliver Billions in Investment included:Between January and August, Kenya conducted 15 outbound and hosted 7 inbound state visits. These engagements secured:Sh19.5 billion in Special Economic Zone investments from China, set to create 5,000 jobs.12 MoUs with Egypt spanning ports, ICT, youth, gender and investment promotion.Agreements with Angola that restored direct flights between Nairobi and Luanda.

The meeting brought together principal secretaries from immigration, citizen services, correctional services, devolution, national government coordination, science, research and innovation, justice and EAC affairs.

As government agencies accelerate implementation, the passport breakthrough is being hailed as the clearest sign yet that long-stalled public services can be reformed—fast.