Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has vowed to eradicate corruption that has bedeviled Nyayo House for years.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Regional Integration Committee Thursday, the CS revealed he had embarked on intense efforts to rid the immigration department of massive graft in issuance of passports.
He said it was time he asserted his authority to ensure the vice is a thing of the past even if it means closing down the department and declaring it a crime scene.
Moreover, he had turned his attention back to the department after months of dealing with insecurity in various parts of the country.
Kindiki said he has already met the Director of Immigration and the Principal Secretary over the matter to ensure that Kenyans are getting the services they require.
At the same time, the CS put rogue officers on notice warning they will be dealt with for exploiting Kenyans.
This is not the first time immigration has been on the spot following public complaints about delays in processing applications.
In June the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) known as the Ombudsman released a damning report exposing malpractices in the issuance of passports.
The report, released by CAJ Chairperson Florence Kajuju revealed that Kenyans are overcharged for passports with fewer pages than they applied.
It added that the perennial backlog is largely caused by delayed approval of the procurement of printing booklets and the breakdown of printing machines.
“Many Kenyans lost their money when they falsely paid more money while applying for passports through the eCitizen platform,” Kajuju said while releasing the report.
“You cannot say that you do not require policy guidelines, yet you are setting up a system that then there are emerging challenges like refund mechanism.”
