Ruto’s PS Fiercely Defends Passport Issuance To Sudan’s RSF, Compares It To Thabo Mbeki
The Principal Secretary of the State Department of Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, has defended the government’s decision to issue Kenyan travel documents to persons tied to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sing’Oei, speaking during a Citizen TV interview on May 14, strongly pushed back against widespread claims that Kenyan passports were being handed out carelessly to foreigners, including individuals associated with the RSF.
He argued that Kenya’s actions fall firmly within its broader peace mediation role, noting that facilitating travel for “conflict actors” is a widely recognised diplomatic practice observed by several countries worldwide.
“The first passports are not dished out willy-nilly. They’re not dished out like candy. It’s completely untrue,” stated PS Sing’Oei.
PS Korir Sing’oei: As Kenya, we are committed to supporting peace mediation in Sudan. Sudan is an important country in our region. I want to speak quite categorically; the first passports are not dished willingly. It is my very strong view that under exceptional circumstances,… pic.twitter.com/eE1U161XNv
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) May 13, 2026
He explained that people who flee active war zones often escape without any documentation and that, under exceptional circumstances, the Kenyan government may issue travel documents to facilitate their participation in peace talks.
“It is my very strong view that under exceptional circumstances, people are allowed to travel, people in distress may be allowed to travel using our passport. This is not a new thing,” highlighted PS Sing’Oei.
Sudan has been at war against the RSF, a paramilitary group commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, whose brother reportedly received a Kenyan passport, an act that received massive local and international condemnation.
This was accompanied by frequent visits by Hemedti to Kenya and meetings with President William Ruto at the Statehouse.
To drive the point home, Sing’Oei referenced former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who reportedly used a Tanzanian passport during the apartheid era.
He noted that “such arrangements carry deep historical precedent across the African continent.”
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The PS was, however, clear that these travel documents serve one narrow purpose, to facilitate movement for peace processes.
He also stressed that they “should not be confused with full Kenyan citizenship or permanent passport entitlements”.
He also made it clear that Kenya is a regional peace hub and that the recent involvement with the RSF has been from a peace mediation standpoint, something practised not only here in Kenya but also globally.
“I’m giving you the position from a peace mediation standpoint, which is what Kenya is known for,” stated the PS
Adding, “And I can tell you that this is a practice across several African countries and globally, where actors who need to be at the table for there to be some kind of negotiation process sometimes have to be facilitated with travel documents.”
Ruto’s PS Fiercely Defends Passport Issuance To Sudan’s RSF, Compares It To Thabo Mbeki
