Film board boss, Ezekiel Mutua, to surrender diplomatic passport

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KCFB) Chief Executive Officer, Ezekiel Mutua, has said he will voluntarily surrender his diplomatic passport on arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Wednesday, October 5 at 3:00 pm.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mutua said he was doing this following “extensive consultations on this matter.”

“Having been informed of a formal request sent to my office by the Director of Immigration Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa while I was away in the U.S., I wish to announce that I will voluntarily surrender the said diplomatic passport on arrival at JKIA at 3:00 pm this afternoon. As a law-abiding citizen and senior official in the Government I will fully comply with the request as I do not wish to have this issue become a distraction to my work,” read the statement in part.

“However, I wish to reiterate the fact that the passport was legally issued to me and that I had not contravened any law in respect to its acquisition and usage. I remain grateful to the Government for entrusting me with this privilege for the time it lasted. I will continue to execute my duties with as much zeal and passion with an ordinary passport.”

Mutua said he will surrender the passport to the Immigration desk at JKIA.

“It must be noted that my earlier statement issued on Sunday while in the US was in the context that I had not received any formal communication on the issue by then save for the reports in the media. Now that a formal request has been done in line with the law, I will gladly oblige and voluntarily surrender the said document to the Immigration Desk at the JKIA,” read the statement.

Last week, the government ordered  Mutua, to surrender his diplomatic passport, saying he does not qualify to hold one.

The Immigration Department said Mutua only qualifies for an ordinary passport.

Mutua had made a remark on Facebook that he did not even have to go to the American Embassy to get a visa, and thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy officials for facilitating the documents.