PS Sing'Oei explains issuance of Kenyan passports to Sudan's RSF leaders

Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s JKLive, Sing'Oei maintained that Kenya remains committed to supporting efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in Sudan through the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) framework.

The Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary noted that the conflict in Sudan had forced many political actors and civil society members to flee the country, with some seeking refuge in Kenya and other neighbouring States. 

He said Kenya has continued to provide shelter to those displaced by the war, as it has done for refugees over the years. 

“As Kenya, we are committed to supporting peace mediation in Sudan. Sudan is an important country in our region. When the war broke out, President Ruto working with other Heads of State under the IGAD framework really rolled their shirts to find a solution to the problem,” Sing'Oei stated. 

He further explained that exceptional circumstances arising from conflicts can sometimes necessitate temporary travel facilitation for affected persons who may not possess valid travel documents while fleeing violence. 

“I want to speak quite categorically; the first; passports are not dished willingly. It is my very strong view that under exceptional circumstances, people in distress may be allowed to travel using our passports,” he said. 

According to the PS, the facilitation of travel documents in such situations should not be interpreted to mean that Kenyan passports are being issued indiscriminately. 

“This is not a new thing; this has happened because fleeing conflicts don’t actually have documents. It is not unusual given our peace mediation role that in order to facilitate travel it might be possible that certain individuals are (issued the Kenyan passports). That is not then say that passports are being thrown around like candy,” he added. 

His remarks come amid heightened public scrutiny over the issuance of Kenyan travel documents by foreign nationals for what can only be perceived as private and personal purposes. 

The issue came to light after reports emerged alleging that Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, the younger brother of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as 'Hemedti' had been issued with a Kenyan passport. 

Musa, a senior Rapid Support Forces (RSF) logistics operative, is under sanction by the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and the European Union.