Passport-gate: Leaked dossier reveals Kenyan passports issued to warlords & foreigners

A leaked internal document from the Directorate of Immigration Services has sparked national outrage following allegations that the Kenyan government issued passports to high-profile and controversial foreign nationals.

The disclosure, which surfaced on February 26, 2026, suggests that several individuals, including sanctioned warlords and foreign businessmen, obtained Kenyan travel documents despite lacking clear legal pathways to citizenship.

Central to the controversy is the revelation that Algoney Hamdan Dagalo, the younger brother of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo, reportedly holds a Kenyan passport.

Algoney is currently under international sanctions for his role in procuring weapons and leading paramilitary campaigns in the Sudanese civil war.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga issued a formal statement on February 26, 2026, condemning the issuance as a 'profound constitutional crisis' and a threat to Kenya’s regional neutrality.

The leaked records further list approximately 30 other individuals of Sudanese origin.

These include Omar Bashir Mohamed Manis, Taha Osman Ishag Adam, and Siddig Elsadig Elsiddig Elmahdi, whose applications were reportedly processed between 2024 and early 2026.

Critics argue that the inclusion of these names suggests a coordinated 'VIP express' handling of applications for figures associated with the Sudanese conflict.

The dossier also highlights the issuance of a Kenyan passport to Wicknell Munodaani Chivayo, a Zimbabwean businessman known for his close ties to various regional political leaders and involvement in multiple legal controversies.

According to the document, Chivayo’s ordinary passport was processed on July 8, 2025.

The leaked data, shared publicly by activist Boniface Mwangi, includes tracking IDs and application dates that suggest these documents were issued without the standard five to ten year residency and vetting requirements mandated by Kenyan law for naturalisation.

Opposition leaders have categorised the development as a significant security breach.

Speaking in Nakuru on February 27, 2026, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka stated that issuing documents to 'suspicious characters' risks placing Kenya in diplomatic difficulty and could subject ordinary Kenyan travellers to increased scrutiny at international borders.

Legal practitioner Wahinya Peter filed a formal request for information under Article 35 of the Constitution on February 27, 2026.

The petition demands that the Immigration Department release all supporting documents, payment receipts, and security clearance reports for 28 specific foreigners named in the leak.