Nairobi, March 22 -- The State has turned to the National Security Intelligence Service (NIS) to help secure passport printing materials from overseas to clear a backlog of 724,000 applications and new requests.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki told Parliament the government is facing difficulties sourcing passport printing materials due to worldwide supply chain shortfalls.

"I have assigned the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to support the State Department for Immigration and Registration of Citizens to get us these travel materials," Prof Kindiki told the Regional Integration Committee.

He told Parliament that the Immigration Department requires three million passport booklets every 90 days but suppliers can only provi...