Special jobs passes banned

The government has banned the use of special passes by foreigners to get employment in Kenya. Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ said the permits had been abused by some foreigners who come to the country on short visits but end up getting jobs.

The minister was responding to complaints by Malindi leaders that many Italians were using the special passes to get employment.

“Many Italian nationals come here and acquire the three-month special passes to work as animators (entertainers), then go ahead to do other jobs that can be competently done by Kenyans. This denies local people employment opportunities and should be banned,” said area MP Gideon Mung’aro.

Sources claimed that most of the 28 beach hotels in the area had hundreds of foreigners working as animators. They allegedly kept renewing their three-month passes, thus denying local people jobs.

“Special passes should only be issued to people coming for music concerts, promoting their products such as books, or short-term projects, not employment. I direct my officers to check on this and enforce my directive to ban them,” said the minister.

At the same time, the minister hinted that it would soon be mandatory for Kenyans to have birth certificates to acquire national identity cards. The rule would be in addition to the one already in force that requires candidates to have a birth certificate before they can be registered for national examinations.

Mr Kajwang’ spoke during a tour of Malindi District, where he also opened a modern immigration department block meant to serve the North Coast. He said immigration officers would soon start moving to schools outside urban centres to register all Kenyans who have attained the age of 18 years.

He urged the officials to be vigilant, saying many foreigners were known to enter Kenya illegally through Ngomeni and other points along the country’s porous borders.