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| A kenyan woman denied visa |
A Kenyan woman who was denied a visa to travel to the United States of America has called out the US Embassy for not even perusing her documents before making a decision. Gikunda pays KSh 28k for visa Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Carol Gikunda said someone needs to call out the US Embassy in Kenya. “My experience with this Embassy in December last year was dehumanising, humiliating, horrendous and torturous, for lack of worse terms,” she claimed. “I got my invitation in November 2023 and went through the gruesome visa application process that needed the details of your grandmother at some point. The pay was translating to a whopping Ksh28,000,” she said. According to Gikunda, she could only get an appointment in July 2024, as she applied in late November. “A friend advised that if you keep the system open and keep checking especially in the ungodly hours of the morning, a chance may open up. I tasked my son with this assignment; he would check out opening chances, and one day, it happened. He booked my appointment at 7amon December 13th,” she revealed in a Facebook post. “My brother Festo Muriungi Fee was booked at the same time the next morning. I needed supporting documents to prove to the embassy that I was attached to my motherland, and I would certainly come back,” she added. Once the appointment was set up, Gikunda went to work gathering bank statements, logbooks, title deeds, company registration certificates, her son’s school reports, appointment letters to several school boards, bank brand ambassador adverts—just anything that proved that she was stable and intended to come back. Gikunda flies to from Malindi to Nairobi Armed with her file of documents, Gikunda booked a flight to Nairobi from Malindi and was at the embassy at 7 am, where she was met by a long queue. Once inside, I went without the phone, and the wait was another 30 mins. At the counter, no one looked at the documents I spent so much time putting together. “A mean-looking lady in her mid-20s had less than five seconds for me. She didn’t bother to look at my invitation letter, passport or any of the supporting documents; she just asked where I was going and what I was going to do,” said Gikunda. “Sorry, try next time she said and handed me the pink paper then shouted next while I was still standing at the counter. I was traumatised; I don’t know how America can be termed as the land of equity or civilisation while they have such an ugly face in the Republic of Kenya,” she claimed. According to Gikunda, being denied a visa is not a big deal; the big deal is to deny people visas after pocketing their money without giving them an opportunity to look at their documents or listen to them,”she explained. I couldn’t believe that the great America that is sung about was represented by that office offering shoddy underservice. Gikunda at the UK mission A few weeks later, Gikunda applied for the UK Visa and she explained that she was given an option to be helped if could afford it. “The system required you to upload all your documents, meaning a decision would be made depending on your documents,” she said. “I completed the application on a Friday, and an appointment was open the following Monday. It didn’t require one to travel to Nairobi; the Embassy has an agency in Nyali Mombasa. A smiling security welcomed us in and asked me to put my phone on silent. I walked in with my phone on. Five minutes later, they took my biometrics and pictures. They received my passport and gave me a waiting card,” she added. Gikunda left feeling that she had been served and her dignity honoured. “Every single step of the way, there was an email to let me know that your passport had been received and transferred to Nairobi, then to South Africa, and A decision was being made on it. They also emailed to say it had been dispatched back and was ready for collection,” she said. “Enjoy your trip, the pleasant person issuing the passport back smiled at me. And for real, I absolutely enjoyed my three-week summer break in London, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston Lancaster, Scotland, and Wales,” she shared. I loved it and by the time it was over I couldn’t wait to come back for son, family, Alpha Charlie Realtors Drivers’ at Alpha-Charlie The Alpha-Charlie Inc and a myriad of other important engagements. “As you can see, I certainly came back. Dear America, please style up! It’s not everyone looking for a visa who wants to come and stick in your country. Some of us just want to go to Miami for a cruiseship. We are very comfortable back home,” said Gikunda.
by Susan Mwenesi
