Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Leaders and residents of Garissa and the greater North Eastern region have threatened to boycott President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to the region over the sudden closure of Garissa passport office.
More than 400 pilgrims who were to travel for Hajj, which start in a week’s time and 300 Amisom soldiers from Kenya and Sierra Leone who were to travel to Somalia are stranded.
A source told the Star the closure of the office was ordered by the new director of Immigration Major-General (Rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa. The source said Kihalangwa also ordered the closure of Embu, Nakuru and Eldoret immigration offices starting last Wednesday.
Officials were instructed to return blank passport booklets to headquarters in Nairobi. Area leaders led by Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye, his Balambala counterpart Abdikadir Adan, Dadaab's Mohamed Dahiye and Garissa branch Supkem chairman Sheikh Abdullahi Salat have expressed their discontent with the closure.
The Garissa office, the only one in Northern Kenya, processes up to 1000 passport applications a month. Shidiye said shutting the office down was uncalled for, especially at this time many Muslims were preparing to go for Hajj.
He said the closure amounts to discriminating against Muslims. Shidiye, a member of the Committee on Administration and National Security said many youths had paid Sh4050 for their passports to be processed.
"For how long will our people continue being denied their constitutional rights? Where does the government want our people to get the services from if it closes this office?" said Shidiye.
When the Star contacted Garissa chief immigration officer Charles Kobia, he referred us to Kihalangwa. Sources said the closure aims to centralise the issuing of the crucial document and block corruption.
Individuals who apply for passports at the office are thoroughly vetted due to the region's closeness with the Dadaab Refugee Camp and Somalia.