Mine was a replacement...smh.
Stood in line under the hot sun for 2+ hrs..
Got inside and thought I had entered a goat market.Queus, mathogothanio, disgruntled fellows and slow service.I was patient..
Squeezed until I found myself a seat next to the photo place. Now I know whey Kenyans look funny on their ID's and Passports! You can't afford a smile after that hustle! No way.
Sat for another 3 hrs. till my turn came, I walked majestically breathing a sigh of relief and feeling like I had conquered the world. Patience pays, I kept whispering to myself.
The guy who was supposed to serve me was talking to another dude at the counter, so he asked me 'what have you come to do?! Ngai! What the hell? I had come to eat chips almost screamed back.
Told him it was my turn, but he asked me to step aside and stop interfering with his 'talk'. Whoa!!I started feeling like a gangster. Was ready to commit crime.
Meanwhile, the numbers kept moving forward and just like that, I was bypassed while waiting! Almost 10 people were bypassed but he didn't seem to care.
Who was pressing the button yet we were not getting served?? !
Shock on me again.I approached the counter after he was done and the useless fellow in full glare of the public chased me away like a thief. Woi woi woi! This one is possessed by 27 demons. This is not normal human behavior, who bewitched you?? I consoled myself. 'Kwenda huko number yako imepita' he shouted as he waved his hand. I stood wondering where to go!
What to do now? tomorrow? No way, I WILL BURN the ugly passport on my way out and run like lot's wife. No looking back never.
Everyone saw what had happened so they tried to tetea me.unapitwa tu hivyo? The guy at the next counter (he's from coast) called and offered to serve me. He was so helpful and kind. God bless you.
I left the place cursing that 'bitter with life' fellow.
I got the replacement last year and after 2 months of waiting.

Will be in the queue this Monday morning. Hoping for the best. Renewal.

Carry a power bank and share your experience once back.

First of all, apologies for coming late with the update, I did visit as scheduled.

It was a two day affair, not because of them but my own fault in not having all the documents.

I thought the recommender could be anyone, I had a family member, the recommender needs to be someone who knows you but is not family, Another, three copies of my ID, I had just one.

If you want to be in and out as quick as possible (I can only speak for passport applications, not collection), you will have to be in the queue at 5 am. On the first day I arrived at 15 min past 5, I was about the 15th person. There are two queues, males / females. Second day I arrived at about 5:30, was about the twentieth.

They open the gate 6 am sharp. On the first day I had a bag with me, the documents inside, because bags have to go through a scanner, some people passed me, after the security check, it was a 60 meter dash to the second queue to enter the building. If you can gain some spots in the dash, good for you. I gained a few. The dash was there in the second day too, this time I didn’t take the bag with me, just a folder, was ready for the dash quick.

Once the building is opened, you are seated, if you are one of the first couple of people, maybe the first 45, you’ll be the first ones to get a ticket number, that’s been numbered sequentially, if you’re last, you’ll be called the last.

Once seated, in the inner building, the officer will briefly go over the requirements, mentioning the most common errors or missing documents, at that point, some people will give back their tickets, and go fix their error. Go and ask him nicely for a better ticket number, because maybe number 6 left, yet you got ticket number 30. On the first day I slept on that, plus I had to give back my ticket. On the second day, I nailed it. Got a sub 10 ticket, from at ticket that was 20+. Another guy saw what I did, tried to ask, got denied. Come with your A game.

At first there will be one counter open, then as time progresses, more counters will open as they report to work. When all counters are open, the tickets are called at intervals of about 1 - 2 min.

I applied, was told to wait for a photo, queued again, it was quick, was out sometime around 7 am.

If you you arrive at about 7 am, you’ll find about 450 people waiting in a buffer building. I guess that if there are more people, they begin queuing outside.

Next update will be about collecting. Was told to collect at 3 weeks.

A Bribe in other words.So your friend is corrupt.And that excuse doesn't hold any water because they are the people who mess up systems/processes and come complaining later.