Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has raised concerns over the public threats to cancel citizenship and deport individuals, especially investors, saying such pronouncements risk undermining investor confidence and damaging Kenya’s global reputation.

His comments come just days after Health CS Aden Duale publicly warned of revoking the citizenship of former Kesses MP Swarup Mishra.

“Sometimes I wonder. When a senior government official who is not in charge of immigration says we will cancel citizenship and deport so and so, do we ponder to think what investors will think of our country?” Kuria posted on his X account on August 3, 2025.

He continued:

“Are we that unorthodox? What of investor confidence? What of due process? What of our credit rating? At this rate, from where shall we get jobs for these children of ours? Gracious Lord hear us.”

Kuria’s post has sparked fresh conversation about the boundaries of executive authority, due process, and how political rhetoric can impact Kenya’s economic outlook.

Mishra probe sparks tension

The backdrop of his remarks is the growing storm surrounding Swarup Mishra, owner of Mediheal Group of Hospitals, who has been accused of operating a high-level organ trafficking syndicate. Health CS Duale, during a fiery speech on August 1,2025, said the government had sufficient evidence to justify closing Mishra’s hospitals and deporting him under the Citizenship and Immigration Act.

“We have evidence. Some of them were paid, some have disappeared,” Duale said, also adding that NHIF funds meant for poor Kenyans were used to treat foreign patients.

Mishra has strongly denied the claims, calling them false and politically motivated. In a tearful press conference, he said over 2,300 employees had already lost jobs and urged authorities to base any actions on facts. His lawyers termed the probe “a fault-finding, not fact-finding mission.”

As the case unfolds, Kuria’s caution underscores a broader concern: balancing justice and accountability with constitutionalism, investor confidence, and economic stability.