Hundreds of Kenyans who sought Immigration services at Nairobi’s Nyayo house were today left stranded for hours following a systems failure.

A cloud of frustration loomed over Nyayo House as long queues built with insiders saying the government was to blame for failing to settle payment for critical software.

According to the source, the system breakdown had brought the entire department to a grinding halt causing massive delays in service delivery and hence, the long queues.

By mid-morning, restless queues had formed, with applicants expressing anger over the lack of communication and updates from officials.

READ: A day wasted in the long queues at Nyayo House for my passport

“We’ve been here since 6am, and no one is telling us what’s happening. This is unacceptable,” said one applicant.

Attempts to seek clarification from staff were met with silence, with officials citing “technical issues” but offering no timeline for restoration.

The incident highlights a troubling pattern in public service delivery, where financial lapses directly impact citizen services.

Calls for transparency and urgent intervention are mounting as affected clients demand immediate resolution.

Known as a place of ‘long waits’, Nyayo House, the building that houses the immigration department, among many other public offices, has for a long time been a graveyard for order, time management, and productivity-and, recently, became a dispenser of boredom and stress.

ALSO READ: Govt: Passport delays caused by printer breakdown, Sh150m needed for new machine

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki in 2023, then as the Interior Cabinet Secretary called Nyayo a ‘crime scene.’

The immigration department has recently taken the flak for delaying citizens’ passports inordinately. The delay often occasioned by the breakdown of printing machines, which in turn, result in a massive printing backlog and monstrous queues.

Although a lot has changed for the better over the time, the ills of Nyayo still run so deep, especially for those seeking urgent services.

The last time the department experienced such breakdown it said it needed some Sh150 million for a new machine.