Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President-elect Charles Kanjama has moved to condemn the illegal issuance of passports by the Kenyan government. Kanjama has moved to criticise the passport issuance following revelations of abuse of processes in the issuance of Kenyan passports to members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Speaking in an interview with a local TV station on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the LSK president-elect said that the issuance of a passport to a senior RSF official would not have been processed since it did not meet the requirements.

He questioned how a person involved with corruption, bribery and fraud cases qualifies for a passport, calling for investigations into the matter.

“If you are a fighter in Darfur seeking Kenyan citizenship, then you are meant to apply, and most likely would not be granted a passport because you have not qualified. It is very worrying if you get involved in corruption, bribery and fraud and end up getting a Kenyan passport. It should be strongly investigated, and the people involved brought to book,” Kanjama said.

Kanjama’s sentiments come at a time when there are questions of how Kenyan travel documents ended up in the hands of individuals linked to atrocities in Sudan and suspected dealings in Zimbabwe.

The list of individuals revealed to have been issued passports includes a majority of Sudanese nationals, alongside tracking numbers of Kenyan passport applications. Around the same time, the United States released a sanctions list that included a Sudanese national with ties to the RSF.

Among those reportedly benefiting from these protections is Algoney Hamdan Dagalo, a senior RSF official who the United States has sanctioned for his role in the Sudan paramilitary outfit.

Passport Issuance to Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals are required to submit their applications through the Foreign Nationals Management Information System (FNMIS), after which their details undergo rigorous background checks and security vetting conducted by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Once the process is complete, the Cabinet Secretary makes the final decision to approve or reject the application, and successful applicants are then registered in the national population database.

However, in the RSF passport saga, this process appears to have been bypassed or manipulated.

As the RSF continues its campaign in Sudan, the revelation that some of its top officials may be using Kenya as a safe harbour through Kenyan travel documents continues to send shockwaves across the country.