The US Embassy has discredited a fraudulent document circulating on social media that falsely implicates a notable member of parliament and a cabinet secretary in a travel ban to the United States.
This misleading letter, dated December 1, 2024, allegedly originated from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and claimed that the two officials were indefinitely barred from entering the US pending an FBI investigation relating to alleged bribery. The document alleged that the officials were under investigation for their involvement in facilitating tenders for a global conglomerate. It misleadingly suggested that the travel restriction was effective immediately from midnight on December 1, 2024, and detailed the suspension of various visa privileges.
The letter falsely stated, “The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, herewith restricts the individuals named from entering the United States of America indefinitely until further consideration and advisory by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).”
In response to this misinformation, the US Embassy was contacted by the news outlet The Star for clarification. On Monday, the embassy firmly dismissed the claims, stating that no such travel ban had been issued by any US government authority. Emphasizing the urgency of combating misinformation, the embassy urges the public to disregard the unsubstantiated claims and report any suspicious communications to the appropriate authorities.
“The travel ban indicated in the letter is fake and was not issued by any US government official,” the embassy stated in an official response.
In November, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a serious warning regarding a rise in scams targeting immigrants. These fraudulent activities often occur through social media, emails, and phone communications, with scammers impersonating agency representatives. USCIS underscored that all official communications will come solely through recognized government channels.
