NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan TikToker Imma Marika (@immamarika92) has touched the hearts of many Kenyans after sharing an emotional video showing two passports she has never used despite years of hoping to travel abroad for work.
In the video, Imma begins by asking Kenyans and well-wishers for advice.
“I need your opinion,” she says before showing her first passport, an older machine-readable passport that she obtained in 2015.
She slowly flips through its pages, revealing that every page is blank.
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Imma explains that she came from a modest background and was the first person in her family to own a passport. She hoped it would one day help her secure a job abroad so she could improve the lives of her parents and siblings.
However, that opportunity never came.
Before she could use it, Kenya replaced the old passport with the newer East African Community (EAC) biometric e-passport, forcing her to apply for another passport.
She then shows her newer passport, which she obtained in 2024, and again flips through its pages to show that it has never been stamped or used.
According to Imma, her biggest challenge has been the high costs involved in securing jobs overseas.
She says many recruitment agencies ask applicants to pay large commissions and processing fees before they can travel, making it difficult for many ordinary Kenyans to afford the opportunity.
In a heartbreaking moment, she wonders whether the passports have become useless.
“When it reaches this point, what does someone do? Do you use them to light a fire, or what do you do with them?” she asks.
She recalls paying KSh 6,500 for her first passport and about KSh 15,000 for the newer biometric passport.
Now, she fears that her latest passport could also expire—or even be replaced by another version—before she ever gets the chance to use it.
She asks her followers what other purpose a passport serves besides travelling.
Passport Transition
Kenya fully phased out the old dark-blue, machine-readable passports and adopted the East African Community biometric e-passport, which features an electronic chip containing biometric information, a digital photograph and enhanced security features designed to reduce forgery and unauthorized use.
The government set November 30, 2022, as the deadline for replacing the older passports, after which they were no longer valid for international travel.
Today, passport application fees vary depending on the booklet type, with the Ordinary A Series costing KSh 4,550, the Ordinary B Series costing KSh 6,050, and the Ordinary C Series costing KSh 7,550. Applicants must complete the online application process before appearing in person for biometric capture.
A Story Many Kenyans Understand
Imma’s experience resonated with thousands of Kenyans who said they also own passports they have never used.
While Kenya has growing opportunities for citizens seeking employment in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and several Middle Eastern nations, many aspiring migrant workers say the costs of recruitment, documentation, medical examinations, visa processing and agency commissions remain major obstacles.
Kenyans Encourage Her Not to Give Up
The comments section quickly filled with encouragement, prayers and even job suggestions.
One user, Joe Martin, advised her:
“Go to Kakande Ministries for prayer in Uganda… Jesus is the answer.”
Imma responded:
“Amen amen.”
Another user, Justus Ondimu, simply wrote:
“Never give up. Keep trying.”
One commenter shared a similar experience.
“I got my passport in 2016 and kept trying to leave Kenya without success. I finally travelled when it had only one year left before expiry. Never lose hope.”
Others pointed her towards possible employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, while another suggested she could first travel within the East African region, including Uganda and Tanzania.
Imma responded positively to several of the suggestions, saying she would explore the opportunities.
Her story has opened a wider conversation about the challenges many Kenyans face in turning the dream of working abroad into reality.
For now, she says she still hopes that one day one of her passports will finally receive its first immigration stamp.
