Kenya - On 27 April, the Government of Kenya, with the support of IOM, the UN Migration Agency, launched the revised Immigration Border Procedures and Operations Manual reflecting new immigration laws, policies and procedure. The Manual was first developed in 2006 and later revised in 2010 to accommodate further changes.

Instability, radicalization and armed conflict in neighbouring countries have also influenced recent immigration policy in Kenya. Since 2010, the Government has enacted new immigration laws and policies, key among them: the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011, the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act Regulations 2012, the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol in 2010, and the EAC One Stop Border Posts Act 2016.

In 2014, the Government amended the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, under Section 75 of the Security Laws (Amendment) Act by adding Section 5A-5D to establish Border Control and Operations Co-ordination Committee (BCOCC) to enhance border efficiency and inter-agency coordination in border management.

“The revised Manual will aid border officials in tackling a myriad of migration challenges facing Kenya,” said Gordon Kihalangwa, the Director of Immigration Services, speaking at the launch in Nairobi. “Human trafficking, terrorism, and document fraud are some of the complex challenges we are currently facing at our border posts,” he said.

“The Manual is a result of reassessing immigration and border management against a backdrop of evolving migration trends, policies, profiles, legislations and regulations,” said Mike Pillinger, Head of IOM Kenya. “It pools pertinent up-to-date policies and procedures for the guidance of immigration officers in their daily work at the border posts across Kenya and headquarters in Nairobi,” he continued.

“The revised Manual is a significant step towards the enhancement of border management in Kenya,” said Yoshihiro Katayama Minister-Counsellor, Embassy of Japan, speaking at the launch. “Enhancement of better border management in Kenya means it will help the country mitigate security risks and reduce anxiety,” he said.

The revision of the Immigration Border Procedures and Operations Manual is an activity under the Immigration and Border Management (IBM) project that IOM is implementing in partnership with the Department of Immigration Services of the Government of Kenya, supported by funding from the Government of Japan.

For further information, please contact Etsuko Teranishi-Inoue, Tel: +254708988903, Email: eteranishi@iom.int