The Senate has summoned Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Immigration PS Belio Kipsang to respond to allegations that foreign nationals may have fraudulently acquired Kenyan citizenship documents and national identification papers.
The summons follows concerns raised in the Senate over the integrity of the country’s national registration, immigration and civil registration systems.
The concerns come amid reports that some non-citizens may have obtained Kenyan identity cards, passports, birth certificates and other official documents.
The matter was raised on the floor of the Senate by nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana.
Kibwana sought the intervention of the Senate’s National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, calling for a comprehensive explanation on the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Kenyan citizenship documents.
According to the senator, the issue has become a matter of national concern following a High Court ruling involving Bosnian aid worker Zarko Knezevic, whose deportation in February 2023 raised questions about how Kenyan citizenship documents are issued and verified.
“The case has heightened public concern about the integrity of Kenya’s immigration, civil registration and national identification systems,” Kibwana said.
Kibwana told the Senate that immigration authorities had alleged Knezevic fraudulently obtained a Kenyan identity card number and was in the process of acquiring a Kenyan passport before he was declared a prohibited immigrant and deported.
However, she noted that on May 26, the High Court ruled that the deportation violated his constitutional right to a fair administrative hearing as guaranteed under Article 47.
The senator said the court’s findings highlighted the need for further scrutiny of the country’s identity management systems.
She asked the committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the case and explain how foreign nationals may have acquired Kenyan citizenship documents.
“The committee should address the circumstances surrounding the case for which the High Court delivered its ruling on May 26, 2026, that exposed the irregular acquisition of Kenyan identity documents by foreign nationals,” Kibwana said.
She also asked the committee to disclose the number of cases investigated or prosecuted over the past 10 years involving the alleged fraudulent possession of Kenyan identity or citizenship documents.
Further, Kibwana called for details on the safeguards in place within the National Registration Bureau, Civil Registration Services and the Department of Immigration to prevent the illegal acquisition of identity documents.
She also sought information on the role of criminal networks, brokers and syndicates that are suspected of facilitating the fraudulent acquisition of Kenyan citizenship documents, as well as the action taken against those found to be involved.
The committee has also been asked to provide details of measures taken to audit, verify and secure the national database, including the adoption of biometric and digital identification technologies.
In addition, senators are seeking information on the number of identity cards, passports and citizenship certificates revoked or cancelled over the past five years on grounds of fraud, misrepresentation or unlawful acquisition.
The Senate is also seeking answers on the challenges registration authorities face in verifying citizenship claims, particularly in border counties and regions with high migration flows.
Kibwana said the government must strike a balance between protecting the integrity of Kenya’s citizenship documents and ensuring genuine Kenyans are not unfairly denied registration services.
“The committee should outline measures being taken to ensure genuine Kenyan citizens are not unfairly denied registration services while safeguarding the integrity of citizenship documents,” she said.
Murkomen and Kipsang are expected to appear before the committee to respond to the concerns and outline measures the government has put in place to address identity fraud.
