Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed in Fight With Governors Over Visas to the US

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed is in trouble with the Governors after her team announced a change in policy denying county officials category A visas to the United States (US) when not travelling on behalf of the national government.

In a memo dated February 14, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that the US Embassy will henceforth not issue special visas to county officials travelling to the US exclusively on behalf of County Governments, whether travelling on diplomatic passport or not.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry ruled that county officials will be getting visitor visas, which are category B1-B2.

Visitor visas are non-immigrant visas for people who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B1), tourism, pleasure or visiting (visa category B2), or a combination of both purposes (B1-B2).

The Foreign Affairs Ministry directed that only county officials who are on national government business will be given the category A visas - which have the same privileges as diplomatic passports.

The decision has been received with anger by the Council of governor's Chairman, who is also Meru Governor Peter Munya, given that the governors will be forced to follow normal visa application procedures.

This includes a physical appearance at the embassy for payment of visa fees, interviews, and fingerprints.

“It is the Foreign Affairs ministry that issues diplomatic notes for foreign missions in Kenya for travel by state officers, hence it is discriminatory and unconstitutional for it to deny diplomatic notes to a section of constitutionally recognised state office holders,” Munya stated, warning that failure to get the category A visa will force them to sue Ms Mohamed and her team.

The governors have threatened to sue the ministry if it fails to facilitate their travel to the US by providing Diplomatic Notes required to facilitate visa processing.