New Kenyan passports acquire hi-tech features

• Electronically printed photograph cannot be replaced unless one rips off the page

Have you ever wondered why the Ministry of Immigration takes your photograph besides those you attach to your passport application form?

Some applicants think this is meant to make their life difficult, but the Saturday Nation has learnt that the photo is meant to be printed electronically on the bio-data page of your travel documents.

The move is part of a wider strategy to enhance the security features of passports. In the past, the picture was only attached to the passport manually, making it easy for criminals to replace and thus steal other people’s identities.

The new security features will be in line with internationally accepted standards to protect the security and integrity of passports. It is, in fact, a step towards issuing e-passports in future.

The move constitutes part of the wider plan for countries to harmoniously heighten the fight against terrorism and combat transnational organised crime.

With the April 2010 deadline set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) resolve to improve security of travel documents fast approaching, Kenya has just met part of the requirements.

As travel documents are becoming more secure, increased emphasis is being placed on the security of their handling and issuance process to help prevent terrorists or criminals from acquiring legitimate documents under false identities.

In addition to the “ghost photo” on the bio-data page of the passport, the pages have intricate designs with complex watermarks. In fact, every page in the passport has a picture of one of the “big five” animals coming in a unique sequence known only to the immigration officials.

The photos are generated from the live capture that takes place at the ministry’s issuance points. They cannot be replaced, unless one tears off the page altogether, thus mutilating the passport and rendering it unusable.

The new document will be valid for a minimum of 10 years, not five as is currently the case.

It will also be bigger, with those for mid level travellers having 48 pages and heavy travellers having 64 pages. The old passport has a minimum of 32 pages.

There were fears that the new look passport would be more expensive but Immigration officials maintained that the cost remains Sh3,040.

This is the fourth time since independence that the face of passports is changing.

With the new passport, it is easier for one to be cleared at border points internationally, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ told the Saturday Nation.

“We are, however, moving to new technology where the new passports will have a new design with additional security features, including a chip with the holder’s facial biometric. In fact, all the information on the bio-data page will also be captured and stored in the chip for cross reference,” said Mr Kajwang’.

Although the new biometric passport will appear very similar to the current one externally, it will feature a logo indicating that there is a chip inside.

Internally, the chip will be visible.

“We have not floated the tender for the supply of the chips yet. This is because we have a lot of passports printed and we would like to clear the backlog. By end of the year, however, tenders would have been published,” said the minister.