Not just Mutua, many VIPs abuse privilege

This week’s admission by Immigration Department that Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua is not authorised to hold a diplomatic passport brings to the fore questions on who else enjoys government privileges they are not entitled to.

Mr Mutua, who has become something of a “moral policeman”, caused a storm on social media earlier in the week when he posted pictures gloating that he had been issued with an American visa on a diplomatic passport.

But the Immigration Department has now asked to return the passport as he did qualify to hold the document. 

Other sought after government privileges include gun licences, police bodyguards, sirens, strobe lights and access to the VIP lounge at the airport.

Director of Immigration Gordon Kihalang’wa declined to comment how Mr Mutua was issued with the privileged passport or if there were others who were holding such documents unprocedurally.

“That I may not be able to answer,” he said.

Governors, senators and other influential individuals are also known to travel around with sirens contrary to the law.

Last year, Eldas MP Adan Keynan sponsored a private member’s Bill, now the Order of Precedence Act, that indicates officials allowed to fly the flag in their vehicle and penalties for those who defy the rules.

Several Cabinet secretaries also have police sirens contrary to the law.

In January last year, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery ordered all vehicles not authorised by the Traffic Act to have sirens and strobe lights to remove them immediately.

Mr Nkaissery had said that other than the President and his deputy, the only other vehicles that are allowed to have sirens are police vehicles, ambulances and fire engines.

“Any other vehicle which does not fall in any of the above three classes should not be fitted with a siren for whatever purposes,” he had said.

Mr Nkaissery also noted that the unwarranted or abusive use of sirens had made motorists reluctant to give way to emergency vehicles thereby jeopardising the genuine use of the sirens.

He directed the Inspector-General of police to ensure the new directive is followed by ordering traffic police to impound any unauthorised vehicles and charge the owners in court.