The government will open a passport office in Malindi early next year to help North Coast residents access travel documents as more seek overseas employment, Deputy County Commissioner David Lusava announced Monday.
Speaking at the Gede Comprehensive School in Malindi division during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, Mr Lusava said the move by the State Department for Interior and Citizen Services would end the agony of passport seekers who have to travel to Mombasa and Nairobi for the service.
“Very soon, through the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, we shall open a passport issuance office in Malindi,” he said adding: “From early next year, those applying for passports will no longer need to travel to Mombasa or Nairobi, as passports will be issued locally.”
Mr Lusava noted that many young people in the region aspiring to work in Arabian countries had faced challenges obtaining passports, and noted that once the office is operational, the challenges will be history.
The administrator at the same time urged residents to take advantage of the newly opened land registry in Malindi town to collect thousands of land title deeds, which he advised could be used as collateral for bank loans.
He also issued a stern warning to drug traffickers, stating that the government would not allow a few individuals to ruin the lives of young people in pursuit of illicit profits. He affirmed that those involved would face the full force of the law.
Additionally, Mr Lusava condemned the persistent invasion of private land, saying that the practice was largely to blame for the delay in the expansion of Malindi Airport.
“It is disturbing that the government must first compensate squatters who have occupied land earmarked for the project before purchasing it from legitimate owners. This is a waste of money and should not be allowed to continue,” he said.
The DCC further decried the continued killing of elderly persons accused of practicing witchcraft, citing an incident in which the home of an elderly individual was set ablaze by arsonists on Sunday night following witchcraft allegations.
He further asked residents to be wary of unscrupulous pastors seeking to exploit unsuspecting people through false religious teachings. He termed the Kwa Binzaro cult incident an embarrassment to the sub county.
Malindi Sub County Administrator Juliet Mapenzi Ruwa, who represented Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, enumerated several development projects undertaken by the current county administration in the sub county.
She asked parents to take care of their children during the long holidays to prevent them from joining anti-social groups which could easily ruin their lives.
Renowned anti-drugs ambassador Famau Mohamed Famau implored on the government to take decisive measures against drug traffickers, who he accused of ruining the lives of young people in the area.
Rev Alfred Mwadzidze of the Gede Pastors Fellowship urged pastors in the sub county to join respective pastors fellowship where their activities will be easily monitored. He also urged those yet to undertake theological training to do so.
Mr Jefwa Yaa, a resident of Gende, called on the county administration to elevate the status of the Gede Health Centre, connect more households to electricity and improve the area’s road network.
Before the celebrations began, leaders and residents present observed a one-minute silence in honour of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, whose remains were interred at his late father’s home in Bondo Sub County, Siaya County, on Sunday.
by Emmanuel Masha
