Kenyan Immigration Official Dismissed for Accepting Sh 3 Million in Passport Fraud

A high-ranking official from the National Intelligence Service was on Wednesday dismissed after accepting Sh3.1 million in bribes from Kenyan citizens to help them get their passports processed.

Tuguro was found guilty of accepting Sh3.1 million in bribes from Kenyan citizens in exchange for passport clearance between November 2021 and March 2022. Despite challenging his dismissal, Justice Abuodha Nelson ruled that Tuguro's actions constituted gross misconduct under the Employment Act, justifying his termination. Tuguro's career with the NIS began in July 2016 when he was appointed as an Intelligence Officer after completing a six-month basic course at the NIS academy. He served in various capacities across several counties, including Wajir, Isiolo, and Turkana.

“The court notes that the petitioner’s conduct of soliciting and receiving bribes amounted to gross misconduct under section 44(4) of the Employment Act and were grounds for summary dismissal,” he ruled.

His roles included Senior Intelligence Officer in charge of Eldas Sub-County and County Analyst in Isiolo. Despite his claims of being posted to challenging and high-risk areas, the court found insufficient grounds to overturn his dismissal. The investigation into Tuguro's conduct began in July 2022 when he was notified of the allegations against him. He received an interdiction letter and a show-cause letter for gross misconduct in April, followed by appearances before a board of inquiry at NIS headquarters in June. Although Tuguro claimed that his concerns about the inquiry process were dismissed, the court found that he had been given ample opportunity to defend himself and present evidence.

During the inquiry, testimonies were provided by Isiolo County Intelligence Coordinator Eric Bii and Ahmed Mohammed, who were involved in the e-Citizen vetting process. They stated that there was no evidence supporting the allegations against Tuguro. However, the court ultimately found that the NIS had presented sufficient evidence to substantiate the bribery claims. The ruling emphasizes that Tuguro's conduct violated the NIS Disciplinary Rules and Regulations, which provided grounds for summary dismissal.