Ezekiel Mutua appeals to immigration department to revoke orders on diplomatic passport

KFCB Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua. (Photo: File/Standard)

Kenya: Kenya Film Classification Board Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua has appealed to the immigration department to withdraw its orders revoking his diplomatic passport.

Mutua, who is currently in the United States claimed that the department did not follow the laid down procedure while handling the passport issue.

 “I wish to appeal to the Department of Immigration to withdraw the instructions on the revocation of the passport and follow the due process since I have not committed any crime,” said Mutua in a statement.

“At no point have I ever abused or used the said Diplomatic Passport for personal gain,” he added.

Mutua decried the manner in which the department communicated the development saying that he only learnt about it in the media.

“It is shocking therefore to learn that an administrative action has been taken by the Department of Immigration and communicated publicly through the media without any consideration to my reputation and the rules of natural justice,” he said.

Mutua said that he was issued with the diplomatic passport legally and that ordinarily, officers who have served in diplomatic positions continue to hold their diplomatic passports until they expire, or they retire from service.

Last week, the immigration department announced that it had directed Mutua to surrender his diplomatic passport for an ordinary one since he didn’t qualify for the former.

The move raised questions among the public over how the passport was issued in the first place.

Mutua has said he has since talked to Director of Immigration Maj. Gen (Rtd) Joseph Kihalangwa over the matter.

Mutua had previously posted, on his Facebook account, a photo of his diplomatic passport alongside a visa he had secured to attended a Google event in California, USA.