Blockade against Somali-passport-holders must stop: a message to Somali government

Photo credit: QZ Africa/Lynsey Chutel

My friend got an admission offer from the University of Nairobi, but he is having difficulties in securing entry/student visa to Kenya due to illegal and money extortion business between Kenya Embassy in Mogadishu, corrupted Kenyan Immigration officers and Somalis sucking the blood of their brothers in need.

When my friend applied a visa at Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu he was told by Embassy Officials that they don’t receive applications from Somalis with ordinary passports. “Service passport holders, dual nationals and those working for UN Somalia are only allowed to apply directly via the Embassy”

He was then instructed to take his documents to a nearby Office that receives on behalf of them. That Office is managed by Somalis allegedly affiliated with Somali Government. Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu said “the reason we are sending to that office is criminal clearance”.

But when people go to that office they are asked to pay money ranging between $300 to $450 dollars per person just for visa processing. “No receipt after the payment, pay it in cash and no through bank account” that is the role. I happen to be asked the same in 2016 when I was seeking Kenya visa.

The same thing happens to almost all citizens apply Kenyan visas. Another friend of mine’s application documents were thrown into a dust-bin and it was never processed, when he only $100 paid instead of $400 by using his Government networks (it was in 2016).

Kenya is a gateway to Somalia, and a major route used by large number of Somalis travelling across the globe for variety of reasons – some seeking educational opportunities while some others are in search for better medical services abroad.

Further, Kenya hosts the largest Somali refugees in anywhere in the world and many have established flourishing businesses in Nairobi’s suburb Eastleigh, which is a success story of entrepreneurial spirit of Somali people. All these realities made Kenya Somalia’s window to the world.

Many writers and activists, including my friends Abdifatah Hassan Ali and Iyas M. Hussein penned about this issue of Kenyan visa and how Somali nationals are mistreated in Nairobi’s JKIA. Imagine a Mom asked to pay $3,500 for just entry visa to Kenya with her 6 kids to attend an appointment at Swedish Embassy in Kenya!?

The mother couldn’t afford to pay that huge price conditioned to the visa and finally made her way by road travel from Mogadishu to Nairobi with her six children. That was not the story of one mother; but the story of many. Read more on this here.

Travel agencies in Mogadishu are playing huge role in degrading fellow Somalis who are seeking visas to enter any country, especially Kenya. They have their links and business partners at Keynya’s Immigration Department who facilitate visa issuance for their poor Somali customers who pay them $500 for just single visa per person. 

Having links at Kenyan Embassy in Mogadishu or Immigration Department of Kenya is becoming a pre-requisite for starting and running a lucrative travel business/agency in Mogadishu.

It is an open secret that Somali passport holders may take forever for them to secure Kenya Visa if they don’t follow the wrong side of the law. It’s very hard to believe this in 21st century – all of these are happening just because some of us are happy to dehumanize fellow citizens and suck their blood.

Somali government must give a closer look into this issue. The problem is not with Kenyans who are making money out of this mess, but Somalis who are making business with them. This blockade must stop – Somali passport holders have the right to move freely.

If Kenya Embassy in Mogadishu is concerned about security, they must have a consensus with Somali government and its security agencies on ways that travelers can get proper security clearance without their dignity being harmed or paying excessive money.