5,000 citizenship files dug up

Police are investigating former Cabinet ministers over irregular issuance of citizenship to foreigners.

The Director of Criminal Investigations, Mr Ndegwa Muhoro, confirmed that detectives were perusing Immigration Department files from as far as nine years ago.

“They are many and we are looking into them case by case. We want to get all those involved,” said Mr Muhoro.

Police are also scrutinising 5,752 cases in which identification documents were issued between 2005 and 2010.

A report prepared by the Serious Crimes Unit in 2011 but whose recommendations were not acted upon was retrieved from the shelves and fresh detectives ordered to pursue it.

“Investigations carried out at the ministry headquarters revealed that between 2005 to March 2010, a total of 5,752 Kenyan citizenship certificates were issued by the department,” says the report seen by the Nation.

Among the beneficiaries were 5,181 Indians.

The investigation was initiated by former head of criminal investigations, Mr Gatiba Karanja, who has since died.

According to the document, ministers disregarded recommendations of Citizen Advisory Reports and the Security Vetting Committee.

FORGED PAPERS

In some cases, the committee noted that some foreigners had presented forged papers in their applications but were granted citizenship.

In other situations, the detectives obtained reference numbers given to the foreigners which failed to match those provided by Immigration.

Police identified 52 foreigners who were granted citizenship without the recommendation of the Citizenship Advisory Committee as required by the law.

Twelve others who applied on the basis of being married to Kenyans were granted citizenship without showing proof of marriage. Those previously deported and others with criminal records also benefited.

Some of them were among the more than 100 people deported earlier in the year when Mr Joseph Ole Lenku, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, took over the Immigration docket.

The report proposed amending the law to clip powers of the minister.

“The Kenya Citizenship Act needs to be urgently reviewed as it gives the minister immense powers and unfettered discretion in granting citizenship,” it says.

“Under the Act, the minister may grant or reject an application and his or her decision is final and shall not be subject to appeal or review in any court.”