State mulls relocating Immigration headquarters from Nyayo House to erase negative history

The government is considering relocating the Directorate of Immigration from its current location at Nyayo House in a bid to improve its tarnished reputation.

Immigration Principal Secretary Julius Bitok acknowledged the negative history surrounding Nyayo House, noting that the government is not proud of the building’s association with past malpractices.

He indicated that discussions are ongoing about moving the agency’s headquarters to signal a fresh start for the department.

“The history and the ills that have traditionally been associated with Nyayo House is not something we are proud of. We are having conversations on whether we need to move out to signify a commitment to do things differently,” Bitok said.

In addition to the potential relocation, the PS urged citizens who have not collected over 90,000 issued passports to do so in order to ease the congestion in storage facilities.

Evelyn Cheluget, the Director General of Immigration, emphasised that the department’s training curriculum focuses on preparing officers to understand the crucial relationship between immigration and national security.

Graft allegations

For years, Nyayo House has been plagued by allegations of corruption, particularly concerning the passport issuance process.

To further rejuvenate the department and address its tarnished reputation, the government is considering making Immigration and Citizen Services an independent department separate from the Ministry of Interior.

The proposal, PS Bitok said, would establish the Directorate of Immigration as an independent service, akin to the Kenya Revenue Authority or the National Police Service.

He emphasised that this transformation would enhance professionalism within the department and elevate its status as a vital national service.

The government is also focused on improving the overall efficiency and transparency of the immigration process by digitising manual records, integrating all government services into the e-Citizen platform, and issuing passports to 30 million Kenyans.

The strategic plan for 2023-2027 includes initiatives such as establishing a fingerprint laboratory, constructing national registration registries, and improving border control management systems.

The Department said it is committed to shedding its history of corruption by embracing transparency and warned recruits against engaging in corrupt practices.

Additionally, the government is contemplating the creation of the Kenya Institute of Migration Studies to provide specialised training for immigration officers.

The proposed changes to immigration services are seen as crucial for restoring public trust in a sector long under scrutiny.