State warns passport cartels operating at Nyayo House

Members of the public queue at an Immigration office waiting to be served. [File, Standard]

The Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) has warned citizens applying for passports against engaging the cartels and instead use the e-citizen portal to apply for the documents.

In a statement to media houses on Friday, the department said a crackdown to smoke out cartels, that have infiltrated the system, has been initiated.

“The public is strongly advised against engaging brokers who use unorthodox means to attempt to bypass the e-citizen appointments system,” warned the DIS Director-General, Alexander Muteshi.

Issuance of important public documents like the national identification card (ID), birth certificates and passport, have been infiltrated by cartels, who tend to bypass the system.

The department said the infiltration has seen the government lose revenue to the cunning individuals, who charge unsuspecting members of the public for their illegal services.

Muteshi revealed that the group operates mostly in and around Nyayo House, which has the immigration offices.

The Director-General added that the department has put in place adequate measures to thwart the unlawful operations, further warning that those found colluding with the illegal group will be denied the services.

“No service will be rendered to such cases,” he warned.

He added: “The Directorate of Immigration Services has a special desk (counter 16) at the Nyayo House, ground floor, to address urgent and emergency passport application cases.”

The emergency services, according to Muteshi, include study passports, medical and scholarship passports, return to work and official foreign assignment documents.

Muteshi, however, advised that passport applicants may present their requests for appointment scheduling as well as fast-tracking issuance of the document at the desk, provided that they attach documentary evidence.

“We remind the public the passport services are accessed strictly by appointments which are booked on the e-citizen portal during the application process.”