Nakuru doctor sues to stop immigration from hiking IDs, passport fees
Dr Benjamin Magare Gikenyi has moved to court to challenge the government’s decision to hike fees for certain services in the immigration department.
What you need to know:
- Dr Benjamin Magare Gikenyi has moved to court to challenge the government’s decision to hike fees for certain services in the immigration department.
- Dr Magare has filed a petition seeking to suspend a February 29 memo from Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, directing the implementation of revised charges for services effective March 1.
Nakuru-based surgeon Dr Benjamin Magare Gikenyi has moved to court to challenge the government’s decision to hike fees for certain services in the immigration department.
Dr Magare has filed a petition seeking to suspend a February 29 memo from Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, directing the implementation of revised charges for services effective March 1. The memo claimed that the government had conducted public participation and was ready to proceed with the implementation.
However, Dr Magare dismisses the public participation, terming it a charade that did not follow the required process.
Dr Magare has sued the Interior CS, Treasury and Economic Planning, the National Assembly, the Senate, and the Attorney General.
“The respondents did a shoddy charade of public participation by asking the County commissioner and select officers to purport to do public participation, which is contrary to principles of public participation,” he said in the petition.
The petitioner claims the decision was made without proper public participation and without a gazette notice to indicate the implementation.
He is also seeking orders declaring the memo and gazette notice null and void, as well as orders for a proper public participation process before implementing the fee review.
Services with revised fees include processing birth and death certificates, verification of ID cards, annual subscriptions, passport processing, marriage certificate passport processing, permits, and various other immigration department services.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi has directed that the application and petition be served within seven days and the response filed within seven days of service.
Dr Magare has also been granted leave to file a rejoinder within seven days from the date of receipt of the responses.
The court will issue further directions on April 24
