Former Cabinet Secretary and former presidential advisor Moses Kuria, has voiced concern over growing political rhetoric involving threats to strip individuals of their citizenship and deport them, warning such statements could erode investor confidence and tarnish Kenya’s international standing.

Taking to X on Sunday, Aug 3, Kuria questioned the appropriateness of senior government officials making such declarations outside the bounds of immigration authority.

“Sometimes I wonder,” he wrote. “When a senior government official who is not in charge of immigration says we will cancel citizenship and deport so and so, do we ponder to think what investors will think of our country?”

He added: “Are we that unorthodox? What of investor confidence? What of due process? What of our credit rating? At this rate, from where shall we get jobs for these children of ours? Gracious Lord hear us.”

Kuria’s remarks come in the wake of a controversial statement by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, who, during a recent public address, warned of possible deportation of former Kesses MP and Mediheal Hospitals Founder Swarup Mishra. Duale accused Mishra owner of the Mediheal Group of Hospitals of running an international organ trafficking network, allegations the former legislator has fiercely denied.

“We have evidence. Some of them were paid, some have disappeared,” Duale said, alleging that National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) money intended for vulnerable Kenyans was diverted to serve foreign patients. He cited provisions under the Citizenship and Immigration Act as grounds for deportation and closure of Mishra’s medical facilities.

In a tearful rebuttal during a press briefing, Mishra described the accusations as baseless and politically driven. He said the health group had already laid off over 2,300 workers as a result of the crackdown and pleaded with authorities to follow due process. His legal team has dismissed the government’s approach as “a fault-finding, not a fact-finding mission.”

Kuria’s intervention has reignited debate over the limits of executive authority, constitutional safeguards, and how political pronouncements can influence Kenya’s economic reputation abroad.

As investigations into Mishra’s case continue, questions persist about the need to uphold the rule of law while balancing public accountability and investor trust.