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US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman clarifies visa denial reasons

US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman (Photo Courtesy)

By Abdirahman Khalif | Thursday, May 16, 2024

The Ambassador said they have to be cautious with visa issuing as they may give it to individuals likely to harm the United States.

The United States Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman addressed the reason why Kenyans are sometimes denied US Visa

While Speaking on a local TV show on Wednesday, Whitman acknowledged that while the US embassy has several times made errors, most visa denials are justified.

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The Ambassador said they have to be cautious with visa issuing as they may give it to individuals likely to harm the United States.

Whitman noted that her country is always on the lookout for individuals likely to cause insecurity and cause harm.

"We do deny people visas and are we always right? No. But are we mostly right? Yes. Think about it, everyone wants to come to America and some bad people want to come to America. Terrorists, money launderers, people who have overstayed their visas before, people who have let their Green Card expire and then come back." Whitman noted.

Residents of Eastleigh are among those who heavily apply for the US Visa but most of the time they either do not get it or abandon the process due to the long time it takes to get one.

However, Whitman assured that the process is conducted with fairness. She stressed that the goal is to ensure that only those with good intentions are granted entry into the US.

"You all remember the 9/11 hijackers. How would you like to be the visa officer who let in the 9/11 hijackers? You would live with that for the rest of your life. We really try to be fair but we are also trying to make sure that the right people who are not ill-intent get to America," she added.

Kenyan Members of Parliament were denied US visas in 2019 after they were linked to drug and terrorism activities.

The processing time for a US visa application varies significantly based on the type of visa. Temporary nonimmigrant visas may take several weeks or a few months, whereas immigrant visas can take years to be approved.