Part of the 26 suspects recently arrested by DCI for facilitating illegal issuance of national IDs, passports, and birth certificates. They included chiefs, clerks, and immigration officers. Photo by DCI. 
By Andrew Mbuva
A sophisticated illegal network within the Immigration Department has been siphoning off commissions from every Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) application, a confidential investigative report has revealed.
According to the report—now under review by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU)—a structured scheme involving both internal officials and external brokers has been facilitating fraudulent visa referrals and unauthorized financial gains within the digital visa system that replaced the traditional visa-on-arrival process.
The revelations come amid persistent allegations of corruption within Kenya’s immigration services, where officers have been accused of extortion and manipulating public services for private gain. The crisis escalated recently after 26 suspects, including chiefs, clerks, and immigration officers, were arrested for facilitating illegal issuance of national IDs, passports, and birth certificates.
Investigators say the illegal networks bypassed standard security and verification procedures, jeopardizing national safety and enabling undocumented individuals to cross Kenya’s borders.
A leaked letter titled “Official Report – VISA Referral Fraud and Unauthorized Earnings Under Investigation (DCI/ATPU)” details the financial architecture of the illicit operation. The communication, authored by a senior government official and copied to both the DCI and ATPU, names several top immigration officers alleged to have benefited from the scheme.
Among those implicated are Immigration PS Dr. Belio Kipsang, Director General of Immigration Services Evelyn Cheluget, Head of Visa Section John Ndegwa, Deputy Head of Visa Section Richard Chesang, Pisces Officers Martin Karani and Lucy (surname unknown), Acting Security Officer Shem Ateka, and referral network operator Abdulrahman Pashua Juma, alongside several external agents.
Evidence shows that the syndicate collected USD 195 per visa application, with only USD 34 remitted as the official government gateway fee. The rest was distributed among the alleged beneficiaries as follows:
Evelyn Cheluget – USD 40
PS Dr. Belio Kipsang – USD 20
John Ndegwa – USD 9.30
Richard Chesang – USD 7.50
Shem Ateka – USD 23.50
Martin Karani – USD 2.80
Lucy – USD 2.80
Abdulrahman Pashua Juma – USD 35.30
External brokers – USD 20
The letter further claims that Pashua’s connections with certain airlines allowed his network to dominate the Somalia–Kenya travel corridor by charging USD 200 per visa referral—forcing other airlines to sell tickets at drastically lower prices.
The report also accuses Director General Cheluget of deliberately slowing eTA processing in an attempt to obstruct or dilute the ongoing investigation, despite the system’s ability to complete applications in under four hours.
“This structure clearly shows that the majority of funds collected from applicants never reached government revenue,” the senior official wrote, adding that the conduct violates the Public Officer Ethics Act, Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and multiple provisions of the Penal Code.
All implicated officers have been ordered to preserve financial and digital records, submit written statements within 48 hours, and desist from interfering with witnesses or internal investigations. The matter is now officially under criminal review, with findings set to be forwarded to Parliament, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Meanwhile, Kenyans continue to raise complaints online, citing bribery, delays, and extortion in passport processing. Some report paying up to Sh50,000 to “fix printers” or speed up applications—despite repeated assurances from the Immigration Department that backlogs, including a pending 42,000-passport queue, would be cleared in a week.
The widening scandal underscores the deep-rooted corruption threatening critical state functions and national security, prompting renewed calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the Immigration Department.
