A troubling story has emerged from Kenya’s immigration department, where according to a KTN report, several Somali nationals have illegally obtained Kenyan identification documents, and these are not simple mistakes.
The report says the documents have been altered, with wrong dates of birth and false places of birth listed, meaning that people who are not Kenyan citizens have been able to get IDs that belong to Kenyan citizens.
This issue raises serious questions about the security of the country’s registration system because an identification card is a powerful tool in Kenya, allowing a person to vote, open a bank account, access government services, and move freely; when such documents land in the wrong hands, it becomes a threat to national identity and public trust.
Evelyn Cheluget, the Director General of Immigration, and PS Belio Kipsang are now at the center of this storm, as people expect them to explain how this breach happened and what steps are being taken to stop it.
The KTN story puts their leadership under a hard spotlight, and the question Kenyans are asking is simple: who allowed this, and why?
Neither Cheluget nor Kipsang has given a detailed public answer yet, but the pressure is mounting because as the heads of the offices responsible for issuing and verifying documents, they carry the ultimate responsibility; if non-citizens can easily get IDs with fake details, then the entire system is broken.
This is not just a technical problem but a matter of national sovereignty, since every Kenyan ID that is illegally given to a foreigner is a potential risk.
It could be used to register as a voter in places where one should not vote, to claim government benefits meant for citizens, or even to hide the true identity of a person with a harmful agenda.
Kenyans have a right to feel angry and worried, and the immigration department has a duty to protect the integrity of its records. The story from KTN is a warning, and now all eyes are on Evelyn Cheluget and PS Belio Kipsang: they must act quickly, investigate fully, and punish anyone found guilty.
More importantly, they must show Kenyans that the system can be fixed, because without trust in the ID process, there can be no trust in elections, government services, or national security. The clock is ticking, and the country is waiting for answers.
