Permit me to Explain

So here is the work permit update, seeing as so many people have asked about it. I may as well give you the full story, so here goes:

The normal visitor to Kenya obtains a three month tourist visa. We had to do this when we arrived, because work permits can only be applied for, in person, in Nairobi.
On our first day in the country (January 6) we applied for a work permit under the 'missionary' category. I also fronted the Education Ministry to organise authority to teach.
A work permit, when granted, automatically gives you residency status - oh, you then have to go and register as a legal alien.

Apparently, the Education Ministry was quite happy to have me passing on teaching expertise, so they said they would expedite my work permit (Immigration checks with Education when an application is for a teacher). They were sure that it would be finalised in two months.

April came, still no word, and our visas were about to expire. We went to Eldoret (the largest city in our region) and asked for a visa extension. We applied ten days before our visa ran out, and so they were unwilling to grant it. After some humble pleading they agreed.

June came, yes, still no work permits. However our contact in Nairobi (Pastor Isaac, from the inland mission) assured is that if we came to Nairobi we should be able to pick up our work permits. All three of us took the opportunity of exam week to drive the 350 km to Nairobi. On the Wednesday we fronted immigration. My permit was 'almost complete'. If we come back tomorrow, it will probably be ready. Tabby had only applied a month before so, although hers had initial approval, the permit would still be a month or two away. Des was a completely different story. The Immigration Department had reversed their initial decision and decided not to grant her missionary status. Their reasoning was that she had no credential that qualified her as a missionary (Tabby and I had teaching qualifications). She would have to re-apply as a dependent spouse. First she would have to prove that we were married ... Did we bring our marriage certificate? No, of course not.

Thanks to a technologically handy brother and an organised Des, the required document is faxed over within 24 hours. Now there is the two to three month wait for the new application to be processed.

In the meantime our visas were about to expire. A quick visit to a new immigration office and Des and Tabby had their tourist visa renewed for another 3 months. This may have been some small indication that the ministry realised they were taking a very long time. I was given a form explaining that my work permit had been approved and was almost ready.

The next day my work permit was not ready.
The next day after that my work permit was not ready. This was a Friday and we knew that immigration was not open over the weekend. We had to return to Kamukuywe. I left my passport with Isaac who agreed to complete the process and send it on by registered mail. It is now six days later and I have heard nothing.

So, as of June 26, Des and Tabby are tourists for another three months (with some hope of a residency permit). I have no tourist visa and no passport. I do have a document explaining that my work permit will arrive 'anytime soon'. The saga continues.

Ah, the efficiency of the public service in Kenya. Somehow, I don't think they really want volunteers in the country, imparting technical skills, helping children, orphans and widows, and spending lots of foreign exchange. Go figure!