This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, reports emerged that five Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) and five parliamentary staff were denied US visas when they sought to travel to an international conference in Tennessee.
The denial of visas was reportedly due to links to crimes such as drugs and terrorism, according to reports by the Standard newspaper.
However, National Assembly clerk Michael Sialai stated that he was not aware of any MP or staff who was denied a visa, citing that visa application is a personal matter and it is difficult to know the grounds of denial.
He added that the institution facilitates the application for the relevant visa whenever an MP or staff wish to travel out of the country on official duties.
The United States has stiff policies which they use to deny foreigners visas if they have information about their involvement in the drugs trade, terrorism, or beneficiaries of proceeds of crime.
According to the Standard newspaper, initially the number of MPs who had not been cleared to travel to the US was large, however, some were cleared after a high-level intervention.
