Kabarnet — The government will deploy more Immigration officers to border posts in a bid to beef up efforts to guard against the spread of Mpox in Kenya.
Immigration PS Prof Julius Bitok said the officers will work closely with the Ministry of Health and other government agencies to screen visitors 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 government will deploy the graduates -- who underwent a 5-week intense training in immigration processes, security, intelligence, communications, protocol and health -- to passports issuance, permits, electronic travel authorization (eTA) and other service sections.
The PS 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.
Relocating immigration headquarters
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 is 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."
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He appealed to applicants who are yet collect over 90,000 passports to do so to decongest storage space.
The Director General of Immigration, Evelyn Cheluget, said the training curriculum sought 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 Eng Felix Maiyo appealed to the national government to open an Immigration office in Kabarnet.
Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa and senior Immigration officials attended the ceremony.
