Wananchi wait to see off relatives at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. NSIS will no longer be involved in passport processing. Photo/FILE
By SAMUEL SIRINGI
The spy agency’s role in passport processing is to be abolished as the government seeks to streamline issuance of the crucial documents.
It will also be treasonable for anyone to corruptly issue or obtain Kenyan citizenship.
In new measures meant to speed up the process of issuing passports, work permits and citizenship, the Immigrations ministry plans to kick out the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) from the process.
The move is also intended to eliminate corruption. Currently, the spy agency conducts general vetting of applicants for passports.
According to the plan, the agency will only be allowed to regularly provide a watch-list of people who are classified as a security risk.
“This will avert issuance of passports, visas and other travel documents to undesirable people,” according to the new measures contained in a document authored by Immigration permanent secretary Emmanuel Kisonga.
This is a big blow to the agency, which has also be criticised over claims that it was behind the illegal alteration of the proposed constitution.
According to the new plan by the Immigration ministry headed by Mr Otieno Kajwang’, an audit of all foreigners who have been issued with Kenyan citizenship would be conducted.
All documents found to have been fraudulently acquired will be cancelled. On a quarterly basis, Mr Kisonga said, names of people issued with Kenyan citizenship and work permits would be published in the Kenya Gazette.
Source: Daily Nation
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