Matiangi orders crackdown over alleged bribes at birth, death registration centre

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i on Tuesday ordered an immediate crackdown on individuals soliciting for bribes in exchange for services at the Births and Deaths registration centre.

Speaking in Kisii during the official opening of the passport centre, CS Matiang’i directed the regional commander and area county commissioner to deploy detectives to ensure the issuance of birth and death certificates is closely monitored.

This comes after residents raised complaints of losing their cash to brokers collecting bribes on behalf of officers.

Matiang’i appealed to residents to volunteer and report any bribery cases in the department further affirming the government’s commitment to effective service delivery.

He further announce that the government had committed Ksh. 300 million towards the devolvement of immigration offices in the country.

“The president had instructed us to open more imigration offices so as to reduce congestion in the main offices at Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu so as to serve people easier and faster,” said Matiang’i.

”Following the directive, more passport centres have been opened in Nyeri, Eldoret, Nakuru, Embu with the latest being Kisii.An additional center is set to be opened in Narok in the coming months, ” he added.

The Kisii passport office has thus far issued more than 4,200 passports serving 200-250 people in a day since it opened its doors in  early June.