More immigration officials to monitor Mpox, PS Bitok says

More Immigration officers will be deployed to border points to beef up efforts to protect the spread of Mpox in Kenya.

Immigration Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok said the officers will be expected to work closely with the Ministry of Health and other government agencies to ensure visitors are screened for the virus.

“Those that will be sent to our land, sea and air entry points will be joining a multi-sectorial team of Health, Security, Agriculture, Kenya Revenue Authority, and others who have been tasked with protecting our borders from infected visitors," he said.

The PS was speaking after presiding over the graduation of 300 newly recruited Immigration officers at the Kenya School of Government in Kabarnet, Baringo County.

The graduates who underwent a five-week intense training in immigration processes, security, intelligence, communications, protocol and health will also be deployed to passports issuance, permits, electronic travel authorisation (eTA) and other service sections.

PS Bitok said the Directorate of Immigration is keen to shed off its long history of corruption by embracing transparency and warned the recruits against engaging in the vice.

He revealed that the government was considering transforming the Directorate into a service and relocating its headquarters to a more convenient location.

“The history and the ills that have traditionally been associated with Nyayo House are 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.”

The PS appealed to applicants who are yet to collect more than 90,000 passports to do so to decongest storage space.

The Director General of Immigration, Evelyn Cheluget, said the training curriculum for the recruits was tailored to develop versatile officers who appreciate the link between immigration and national security.

“We have a policy of continuous rotation of officers within the various service sections. We want officers who understand the nexus between what happens in these sections and wider security implications for our country.”

Baringo Deputy Governor Felix Maiyo appealed to the national government to open an Immigration office in Kabarnet.

The ceremony was also attended by Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa and senior Immigration officials.