Director General Evelyn Cheluget: The decorated lady holding Kenya's Immigration file as the foreigner question explodes

Cheluget became Director General of Immigration Services on May 15, 2023, after joining the department in 1994 as an Immigration Officer.

Her rise has taken her from frontline immigration work to some of the department's most sensitive operational and managerial positions.

A career in the immigration

Unlike many senior public officials who arrive from another institution, Cheluget has grown with Immigration.

Her career has included serving as Head of the Visa Section, Head of the Nairobi Passport Application Centre, officer in charge of Immigration Services at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Head of Border Management and Director of Immigration Services in charge of Citizenship.

She also served as an Immigration Attaché in Washington, DC, giving her experience on both the domestic and diplomatic sides of migration management.

That range is significant because Kenya's immigration system covers far more than passports.

Its functions include border management, visas, citizenship, residence, travel documents and services for foreign nationals.

Cheluget has held senior responsibility across many of those areas before reaching the top job.

The academic foundation of the career

Cheluget holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Egerton University and a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi.

She is also an alumnus of Kenya's National Defence College.

Her academic background aligns with the increasingly strategic nature of immigration management, where questions of security, technology, mobility, citizenship and public service now intersect.

Taking charge at Nyayo House

One of the clearest tests of Cheluget's leadership came early in her tenure at the top.

In 2023, Immigration was struggling with a large passport backlog that had frustrated thousands of applicants.

Cheluget announced operational changes that included day and night shifts, additional staffing, dedicated emergency desks and efforts to restore or acquire printing capacity.

The reforms helped increase daily passport printing from about 1,500 to 4,000 at one stage, while more than 100,000 passports were reported printed in a month as the backlog fell.

It was a very public reminder that running Immigration is not just about policy.

It is also about managing systems, people, equipment and demand when all four are under pressure.

From passports to digital immigration system

Cheluget's tenure has also coincided with a broader shift towards digital immigration services.

The Directorate now operates services including Foreign Nationals Services, Electronic Travel Authorisation and eCitizen-linked immigration services, allowing applications and processing to move increasingly online.

The shift reflects how immigration has changed from a largely counter-based government service into a data-driven system involving digital applications, identity verification, border technology and risk assessment.

Recognition beyond Nyayo House

Cheluget's public-service career has attracted several national and regional honours.

She was awarded the Order of the Golden Warrior (OGW) in 2022 and the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2023, according to the Directorate of Immigration.

She was also named Best Immigration Woman of Inspiration at the 2023 Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards.

In May 2026, she received the East Africa Public Sector Leadership Champion of the Year award at the East Africa Superwoman Awards.

She dedicated the recognition to immigration officers and staff across the country, praising their professionalism, resilience and commitment to public service.

Running the Kenyan Immigration machinery

Evelyn Cheluget's story is ultimately less about a sudden rise and more about longevity inside one of the country's most complex public institutions.

From an Immigration Officer in 1994 to Director General three decades later, she has worked in passports, visas, citizenship, borders, airports and diplomatic missions.

That long institutional memory is perhaps her defining credential.

And for an office responsible for deciding how Kenya manages movement across its borders and documents the people within them, experience counts.