Outrage as leaked Gov't document reveals foreigners issued with Kenyan passports

A leaked internal document from the Directorate of Immigration Services reveals a shocking trend by President William Ruto’s administration to dish out Kenyan passports to foreign individuals for what can only be perceived as private and personal purposes.

From a high-profile Zimbabwean entrepreneur to high-ranking figures from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the list of questionable issuance of Kenyan passports is growing.

Political activist and presidential aspirant Boniface Mwangi blew the whistle, posting on social media an alleged leaked document listing foreigners who are now Kenyan passport holders.

The list, allegedly sourced from the Immigration department, shows a surge in both new and renewal passport applications for individuals whose ties to Kenya are, at best, unclear and, at worst, a potential national security threat.

Among the names processed in recent months are individuals linked to foreign political factions currently embroiled in conflict in Sudan.

These include Omar Bashir Mohamed Manis, a name identical to former high-ranking officials in the Sudanese government.

There are also multiple entries of individuals sharing the surname of RSF paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, including Mayada Hamdan, Abdaraheem Hamdan, Zahra Hamdan, Zariwa Hamdan and Musa Hamadan Musa.

A separate document from the United Nations also shows that Algoney Hamdan Daglo, a designated individual linked to the RSF, holds a Kenyan passport. Mwangi, who exposed the alleged scandal, says this is a stain on Kenya’s identity.

“Our passports are being sold to warlords. Hemedti and RSF are being accused of crimes against humanity, murder and rape and they are wanted, and they are travelling with a Kenyan document, so what happens is that as a Kenyan when you travel with a Kenyan passport, I become suspicious because you don’t know who is a legit Kenyan and a non-Kenyan who bought a passport,” Boniface Mwangi noted. 

Also included on the list is controversial Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who has been named at the centre of a massive graft probe in Zimbabwe. He is also a frequent visitor to Kenya and has been seen posing for photos with the Head of State.

The issuance of Kenyan passports to individuals with questionable backgrounds goes beyond corruption, according to Mwangi.

“Our Kenyan passport is very sacrosanct; it is our identity. Now our government is selling our identity to foreigners for the price of beans, or I don’t know,” Mwangi added. 

According to the activist, the passports were issued unprocedurally. To obtain a Kenyan passport, one must prove citizenship by birth through a national identity card and birth certificate.

For foreigners, requirements include at least seven years of residency in Kenya, proficiency in Swahili or English, demonstrable contribution to the country’s economy or society, and gazettement of the application.

Some individuals on the list appear to have bypassed the seven-year residency requirement. Mwangi is now calling for the revocation of the passports and accountability for those responsible.

“The people involved in issuing the fake passports must first be fired, investigated and taken to court, so heads must roll, but rolling isn’t going far enough, people must go to jail for selling Kenya’s sovereignty,” he highlighted. 

Former Chief Justice David Maraga, in a post on his official X account, also condemned the issuance of passports to individuals linked to Sudan’s conflict, calling for their immediate revocation.

He stated that: “Kenyan citizenship should not be extended at the convenience of power, as it amounts to a state’s declaration that the bearer is one of us.”

Efforts to get a response from the Ministry of Interior did not yield results, as enquiries went unanswered.