More immigration officers to be sent to borders to boost mpox screening

The government is set to deploy additional immigration officers to border posts as part of heightened efforts to prevent the spread of mpox in Kenya.

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok on Friday stated that the officers will work closely with the Ministry of Health and other agencies to screen incoming visitors for signs of the virus.

"Those that will be sent to our land, sea, and air entry points will be joining a multi-sectoral team of health, security, agriculture, Kenya Revenue Authority, and others who have been tasked with protecting our borders from infected visitors," he said.

The announcement came during the graduation of 300 newly recruited immigration officers at the Kenya School of Government in Kabarnet, Baringo County.

The officers, who completed five weeks of intensive training, will be stationed at various immigration service centres including passport issuance, permits, electronic travel authorisation, and other related departments.

The training covered a range of topics including immigration processes, security, intelligence, communications, protocol, and health, ensuring the officers are well-prepared for their new roles.

Bitok also pointed out that the Directorate of Immigration is committed to fighting corruption and warned the recruits against engaging in any corrupt practices.

"We want to shed off the directorate's long-standing history of corruption by embracing transparency," he noted.

To mark a fresh start for the directorate, Bitok revealed that the government is considering transforming it into a service and relocating its headquarters from Nyayo House to a more suitable location.

"The history and the ills that have traditionally been associated with Nyayo House are not something we are proud of. We are having conversations on whether we need to move out to signify a commitment to doing things differently," he explained.

He further appealed to Kenyans to collect over 90,000 uncollected passports to decongest the storage space.

Meanwhile, Director General of Immigration Evelyn Cheluget said the new curriculum was designed to train officers who understand the close link between immigration and national security.

"We have a policy of continuous rotation of officers within the various service sections. We want officers who understand the nexus between what happens in these sections and wider security implications for our country," Cheluget said.

Baringo Deputy Governor Felix Maiyo called call on the national government to establish an immigration office in Kabarnet to boost services for residents.