How Immigration Officers are Soliciting Bribes from Kenyans Seeking Passports

Corrupt officials at the Kenyan immigration department are reportedly soliciting bribes from Kenyans in exchange for services.
Investigations by Nation newspaper have revealed the frustrations Kenyans seeking crucial documents such as passports are being put through in an attempt to lure them to part ways with money to get the services.
The paper reports that the officers are demanding a bribe of at least Sh2,500 from applicants to be issued with documents they applied for, even after paying the mandatory requisite fees.
Kenyans who are unable to cough the bribe are forced to make endless visits to the Immigration counters, being turned away every time they appear. They are told their documents have not been processed.
For instance, it should take about 10 working days for one to get a passport they applied for and at least five days for other documents.
Ian Mwangi, who applied for a passport on February 23rd waited for more than a month to get the document.
“I went to collect my passport on the day that I was told by the immigration officials, only to be told it was not ready and I had to come back after a week,” he said.
When he returned at Nyayo House a week later, he was turned away again on ground that the document was not ready.
Daily Nation was forced to seek intervention of Immigration PS Dr Gordon Kihalang’wa on behalf of Mwangi. The PS confirmed Mwangi's passport was ready.
“The passport is ready. I was told,” he said in a text message.
However, when Mwangi visited immigration offices to collect it the following week, he met a broker hovering around the waiting bay. He was told he's not going to get the passport unless he gives the bribe.
“This is how it works; you will have to pay some money for you to get it, or you will have to wait for ages,” said the broker, who asked for Sh2,500.
“Out of this, Sh1,000 will be paid at the Dispatch Department where the file is, Sh1,000 will go to the officer at the Immigration desk, while the remaining Sh500 will go to the person who will deliver it to you,” he said.
It was at 2pm and the broker promised to deliver the passport at 5pm, which he did.
The immigration office falls under the Interior Ministry, which was ranked the most corrupt state department by the anti-corruption commission in the 2016 Corruption Index.
Comments
Almost everybody has a phone…
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Almost everybody has a phone that has a camera. Take the pictures/video of those brokers and post them on social media and newspapers. Even those immigration officers that keep on tell you the pp is not ready post them on social media.
OUR KENYAN HAS REALLY GONE…
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OUR KENYAN HAS REALLY GONE TO THE DOGS.
REALLY PATHETIC.
Mheshimiwa Ndugu @Kenya,…
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Mheshimiwa Ndugu @Kenya, Ajabu! Hata mimi nilikuwa nikifikiria kusema yote uliyoyasema. Kwa hiyo, sitaki kuyarudia tena huku nikitumia lugha ya Kiswahili.
Ningependa kumshauri Mheshimiwa Ndugu Uhuru Rais wa Kenya, atoe amri ya kuwauliza wananchi wote watumie simu zao za kiganjani (cell phone)ili kuwanakili waomba rushwa mara moja.
Mheshimiwa Hayati Rais wa kwanza katika Jamhuri ya Tanzania Borito Kambarage Nyerere alisema, "...It can be done, play your part."
Thank you @Imara. Kiswahili…
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In reply to Mheshimiwa Ndugu @Kenya,… by Imara (not verified)
Thank you @Imara. Kiswahili changu iliacha Kenya
I missed to type 'N' in…
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In reply to Thank you @Imara. Kiswahili… by Kenya (not verified)
I missed to type 'N' in niliacha
Privatize the passport…
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Privatize the passport issuance it might not make sense but it can help have Mobile passport clinics with technology complete secure mobile station wired ,Fingerprint all Kenyan above 18 years kama sio passport wape digital ID..sasa Then Start profiling several gvt and private institution will benefit ie.. KRA,,Banks GVT instutions colleges universities, insurance companies hospitals.. Employers start crime flaging.. corrupt people or staff flaged etc set up 2030 vision
The department head should…
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The department head should ensure that the passports are being issued in a timely manner, failure to do so should be grounds to relief the department head. There should also be a procedure to raise complains if one does not receive the passport within the 10 days. In order to eliminate bribery, the government has to be aggressive about it and give the mwananchi a platform on which to report abuse of office, the government can start using decoys in order to get rid of this cancer of corruption that we have in the country
Now that the rot is exposed,…
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Now that the rot is exposed, what next. It's a shame that as of writing my comment hear the immigration spokes person has said nothing even attempted to do damage control.
We start distributing body…
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We start distributing body cameras to natch those corrupt wananchi most no. 1 enemy. We wonder when Kenya will be free from this captivity.
Media guys can be very…
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Media guys can be very helpful here. Expose them for all to see. The government should also up its fight against the vice of corruption. You cannot give us a deadline for pp renewal and then leave us at the mercy of these thieves. I think the best thing to do if corruption is reported in any institution is to fire the boss. Our bosses are sleeping on the job or they are as corrupt as the people they supervise. Firing them will be a wake up call. I rest my case. But this is pathetic. I hope terrorists will not take advantage of our corrupt immigration system and acquire passports and use them to cause havoc and destruction to both humans and property. Shame on you our immigration service.
Mheshimiwa Ndugu Joe Kam;…
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Mheshimiwa Ndugu Joe Kam;
Uliyosema ndiyo yaliyotendeka siku za utawala wa Mheshimiwa Dr. Daniel Kipkorios Toroitich Arap Moi. Watu walionunua pasipoti za uraia wa bandia wa Kenya kutoka nchi za Uarabuni ndio waliolipua afisi ya Marekani mnamo mwaka wa 1998.
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