Interior CS Fred Matiang’i
on Friday gave national security teams and the Immigration department until the end of November to deport all foreigners in the country illegally.
He said the ministry takes the issue of immigrants with questionable status seriously. “[In the] next three months, till the end of November, we have to completely get rid of people without valid work permits,” he said.
Matiang’i spoke during a meeting of national government administration and security officials at Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete. The officials included county commissioners and regional police commanders.
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Matiang’i said the Immigration department is in the process of modernising and digitising the work permit system to ensure records are easy to manage. Also to be developed is the electronic passport tracking system to cut down instances of officials getting compromised while handling immigration issues.
With this system, Matiang’i said, “People will no longer have to go Nyayo House to look for passports and other related documents.”
Admitting the ministry has had to fire staff who accepted bribes at the Immigration department to issue passports and work permits, Matiang’i said digitisation will be concluded by the end of the financial year.
To make the initiative effective, Matiang’i said the swoop net will be devolved to local administrative units. “You [County commissioners and regional police commanders] will be provided with all the records you need - both manual and electronic - to ensure you do not second-guess in your work,” he said.
Matiang’i painted a grim picture of the illegal immigrant situation, saying most come using genuine documents but exploit the technicalities of procedures to stay and engage in crime.
“There are immigrants who come on tourist visas but dodge their way to stay here [upon expiry of their documents],” he said.
“We believe before they came to our country, they came from somewhere they called home. They must go back there.”
Matiang’i said some come to Kenya to engage in drug dealing and when arrested claim they are married to Kenyans when in reality is they are cohabiting with unsuspecting women.
“Those claiming to be married to Kenyans must produce legal marriage certificates,” he said.
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