On 21 June 2019, applicants began arriving at Nairobi’s Nyayo House around 3:30 a.m. By 5 a.m., more than 700 people were in line, although the gates opened at six and government service began at eight. Only 71 days remained before Kenya’s old passports were due to become obsolete. Applicants had to appear in person for fingerprints, a photograph and a signature, so an online form could not complete the process. The government had opened four additional centres in Kenya and six abroad, with a stated capacity of 1,500 people a day, yet congestion at headquarters continued. One applicant reported queuing for nine hours. The new chip-enabled document promised faster automated border clearance. At the point of conversion, however, that technology concentrated people at a physical counter before sunrise. A passport designed to speed future travel first required a very slow journey through the application line.