Nairobi — November 6, 2026
Kenya has printed green service passports for public servants and state officers who travel abroad on official duties but do not qualify for diplomatic passports, Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services Belio Kipsang announced. Kenyans
Speaking before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on Thursday, November 5, Kipsang said the documents are ready and will be issued once the necessary regulations are finalised. The green service passport will create a distinct third category of official travel document, sitting alongside the sky-blue ordinary passport used by the general public and the red diplomatic passport reserved for senior officials. K24
Service passports were previously issued mainly to members of the disciplined services, including police officers and military personnel on overseas assignments. The expanded programme aims to cover a broader group of government officials and state officers whose work requires international travel but who fall outside the strict eligibility rules for diplomatic passports. Pulse
The announcement followed parliamentary scrutiny of existing diplomatic passport rules. MPs raised concerns that some constitutional office holders and commissioners serving in independent commissions have been excluded. The committee was examining a petition by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), which highlighted what it described as unequal treatment. Pulse
In response, Kipsang said the government is open to reviewing the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Regulations of 2012 to align them with the 2010 Constitution and the additional constitutional offices created since then. Under the current rules, diplomatic passports are generally reserved for the President, Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, governors, senior judicial officers, specified security chiefs, and certain spouses and dependants. The Interior Cabinet Secretary also has discretion to authorise issuance in other cases where necessary for official duties. Eastleighvoice
Under the East African Community passport system, ordinary passports carry a sky-blue cover while service passports are green. A service passport identifies the holder as travelling in connection with government business and is distinct from an ordinary passport used for personal travel. It does not automatically confer the same privileges or immunities associated with a diplomatic passport. K24
Online reaction has been mixed. Some commentators view the move as a practical response to long-standing gaps in official travel documentation for mid-level public servants. Others have questioned whether it addresses a genuine operational need or simply expands privileges for state officers.
The passports will only be issued after the relevant regulations are completed. Kipsang emphasised that diplomatic passports must retain their integrity and international recognition, with issuance limited to official diplomatic functions.