Kenyans seeking to travel abroad have endured years of alleged bribe demands and delayed passport processing at the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior.
According to appeals addressed to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, the victims have complained that the rampancy and delays have cost them an education, honeymoon getaways and even separated families entirely.
According Kenyans site one complainant, Josephine Wanjiku, who was set to travel abroad, the department kept turning her back and forth over minute details that kept expounding every time she solved one.
Last year, she was set to travel but was turned away because of birth location on the birth certificate. After she rectified, she was further asked to pay Kshs 1500 extra in order to get her on the new system.
The victim claims she often woke up early (4 am) in an effort to beat the infamously long lines at the passport application offices. After paying, she was asked to return after a month but her application had not proceeded.
After a mishap was solved and the application moved to the photo stage, she has never proceeded from there for two years now, except an occasional advice to have someone from the inside do the lobbying on her behalf.
In one instance where she was referred to specific officials inside the department, she inquired why her applications had not proceeded and was curtly answered, “because no one moved it.”
At that time, she could not access the officer in charge since he was on leave but the person she was directed to was either missing from the office or treating the applicants arrogantly.
This tale sparked oline venom with several other victims telling of their own frustrations at the department.
“I have the same story…I missed an important summit because of this ghosts…I am trying a way to rally a delegation of frustrated Kenyans to the office of CS Fred Matiang’i,” wrote one user.
Several other frustrated applicants told of how they had their families separated, education trips cancelled and scholarships revoked entirely since they could not bribe to have their applications approved in days.
Some confirmed that after offering a bribe, their applications were approved pronto.
Who do you think is responsible for this saga?