The United Opposition has called for an independent parliamentary inquiry and criminal investigations into the irregular issuance of passports and networks recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight in the Russian war.
They have also demanded a full public account of all Kenyan nationals recruited into foreign conflicts and the immediate, government-funded repatriation of all Kenyan citizens stranded in the Middle East.
In a statement read by Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of the Wiper Democratic Front, in Meru, the opposition leaders accused the administration of President William Ruto of engaging in activities that threaten Kenya’s security, international standing and democratic future.
The Kenyan passport.
Photo credit: File
Mr Musyoka was joined by Rigathi Gachagua, leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP); Mithika Linturi, national organising secretary; and Justin Muturi, leader of the Democratic Party.
The opposition warned that the country is on the verge of becoming a pariah state, and accused the Office of the President, the Ministry of Interior, the National Intelligence Service and the Immigration Department of being responsible.
They accused the government of irregularly issuing travel documents, recruiting Kenyan youth for foreign combat roles, abandoning Kenyan citizens stranded abroad, committing human rights violations, and facilitating sanctioned individuals within the country.
Mr Musyoka said that these claims have been corroborated by credible diplomatic channels and reports.
“The United Alternative Government is outraged by credible evidence that the Ruto-led regime has engaged in the irregular issuance and de facto auctioning of Kenyan passports and identity documents to foreign nationals, including alleged drug lords, human traffickers, and rebel group leaders facing international sanctions,” said the Wiper leader.
This follows reports Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, brother to Commander of Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan, alias Hemedti, is listed in a US sanctions notice as holding a Kenyan passport.
Immigration boss Evelyn Cheluget (left), Artur Margaryan, Artur Sargsyan and Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa.
Photo credit: Nation Media Group
Opposition leaders have said that Kenya’s collaboration with sanctioned warlords effectively transforms the government into a ‘criminal enterprise’.
Mr Musyoka said that Kenyans risk increased scrutiny at international borders and airports, and that access to visas is also complicated.
“Beyond passport integrity, the illegal issuance of identity documents to foreign nationals forms part of a calculated plan to rig Kenya’s 2027 general election and deploy foreign militias to suppress Kenyan voters...”
The opposition has also challenged the government to take responsibility for the trafficking of Kenyan youths to the Russia–Ukraine war.
“We ask Mr Ruto: how many more Kenyans must die on foreign soil before your regime accepts responsibility?” he asked.
The government has also been criticised for failing to repatriate Kenyan citizens stranded in the Middle East amid escalating hostilities between Israel, the United States, and Iran.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports that the Kenyan government has, on several occasions, demanded that stranded citizens purchase their own return tickets as a condition for repatriation assistance. This is unconscionable and a fundamental dereliction of the state’s duty of care to its citizens abroad,” they stated.
The opposition leaders also accused the government of making Kenya a safe haven and operational base for regional and international criminal networks.
Mr Musyoka cited the forced removal and illegal rendition of human rights activists, political figures and legal visitors.
“The abduction and rendition of Uganda’s Kizza Besigye stands as a particularly alarming example of how far this regime will go in serving the interests of foreign principals over Kenya’s own constitutional and legal obligations,” Mr Musyoka said.
These acts, he said, have eroded Kenya’s role as a neutral mediator in regional conflicts.
“The role which was hard-earned over generations of principled diplomacy, is now being systematically destroyed by one man’s greed and contempt for Kenya’s national interest,” he said.
