File image of President William Ruto
Once upon a time, Kenyans didn’t need visas to visit the UK. You got on a plane, and on arrival, your passport was stamped to allow you to remain there for 6 months.
Then all hell broke loose in the early 90’s when Siad Barre was overthrown. He and his family fled to Kenya and took refuge at the Safari Park Hotel.
Other citizens of Somalia fled to Kenya and bought ID’s and Passports from our corrupt Kenyan Immigration Officials.
A corrupt Senior KQ Official received bribes, to arrange for these Somalis with fake passports, to travel to the UK on Kenya Airways’ Flights.
KQ was warned about this by the British Authorities and was fined £2000 for every non-Kenyan Somali arriving in London. But KQ didn’t listen. Within a short while, the fines totalled £600000.
The British thought that the KQ Staff could not distinguish between the genuine Kenyan Somalis and the ones from Somalia.
They sent their Immigration Officials to Nairobi to show them how to do it and stop the illegal immigrants from boarding the aircraft in the first instance.
They stayed in Kenya for about one month, during which no illegal Somalis with Kenya’s documents made it to London.
But as soon as they left, it was back to business as usual, as the corrupt KQ Official allowed more illegal Somalis to travel to the UK, using the airline.
When this happened, the UK Immigration Officials started checking KQ passengers, as soon as the aircraft doors were opened.
Those with fake documents were detained in the boarding bridge for the whole day until KQ was ready to return to Nairobi in the evening. KQ had to fly them back to Nairobi and pay the £2000 fine on top of that.
The British believe in mass punishment. After all the frustrations from Kenyans, they declared that ALL KENYANS had to obtain visas for entry into the UK.
The British Embassy Offices at Bruce House had never contemplated ever processing visas for Kenyans travelling to their country. It was therefore ill prepared for thousands of visa applications that followed, overwhelming the few staff members available.
Each 5-year visa costs about KES 12,000. KQ flights were affected as all the Flight Crews were expected to get visas as well.
This is just one example of what can happen, as Mr. Natembeya is trying to explain.
But it could get worse.
Al Shabaab, ISIS and other terrorist organisations might use Kenyan Passports to enter countries where they plan to cause havoc.
Subsequently, people holding Kenyan passports may be banned from entering some countries because of the KK Government’s folly.
In most US Airports, people who look like Arabs, are characterised as terrorists and are subjected to very severe and thorough scrutiny, before being allowed to travel or upon arrival. Some even miss their flights in the process.
Imagine if it were to happen to all Kenyan Passport holders in several countries like in Europe and Asia. Travelling would be hell on earth for Kenyans.
Kasongo was born when the SHIFTA war was raging in the mid-60s. Many Kenyans and Somalis died in the long-drawn war, as Kenyan Somalis attempted to secede from Kenya to Somalia.
The new border between Kenya and Somalia would have shifted to Isiolo if the SHIFTA had won.
When we talk about PhDs, we should perhaps endeavour to get one on Kenya’s History, to help us understand why strict screening and vetting, were instituted in the North Eastern Province, for the issuance of Kenya’s identification documents.
The move the Government is taking is very dangerous and will affect all Kenyans, including the genuine Kenyan Somalis. It should be resisted by all patriotic Kenyans for our sake and for our future generations.
