Immigration PS Belio Kipsang says the government has printed the new travel document and will launch it once regulations are ready.
The government plans to introduce a green service passport for public servants and state officers travelling abroad on official assignments. The document will serve officials who do not qualify for diplomatic passports.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang outlined the plans before a National Assembly committee on November 5. He said the government had already printed the passports, but rollout would await final regulations.
The new document will add another official travel category alongside Kenya’s ordinary and diplomatic passports. Kipsang also noted that members of the disciplined services previously received service passports for overseas duties.
Green service passport amid eligibility debate
The announcement came as MPs questioned the rules governing access to diplomatic passports. Their concerns centred on constitutional office holders and independent commissions missing from the eligibility list.
The Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security was examining a petition from the Commission on Administrative Justice. The commission raised concerns about unequal treatment of officials serving in constitutional offices.
In response, Kipsang said the government was willing to review the 2012 regulations under the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act. The review would address those concerns and align the rules with changes introduced by the 2010 Constitution.
He explained that previous recipients of service passports included police officers and military personnel travelling overseas on official assignments.
Diplomatic passport rules and wider reforms
Current regulations reserve diplomatic passports for designated senior state officials. These include the President, Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, governors, senior judicial officers and security chiefs. Some spouses and dependants also qualify.
Meanwhile, separate legislation covers eligible retired officials, including former Deputy Presidents and their spouses. It recognises their participation in international duties such as mediation, peace missions and election observation.
Kipsang also said Regulation 13 allows the Interior Cabinet Secretary to approve diplomatic passports outside the listed categories when necessary. This discretion applies particularly to official government assignments.
However, he stressed that diplomatic passports serve official duties and diplomatic functions. He said the government must safeguard their integrity and international recognition.
The plans also form part of wider passport administration reforms. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to upgrade the Nyeri and Malindi immigration offices. Both offices would offer full passport registration, processing and biometric capture services.
