Dr. Tabbey Sindani

The UK Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) in Westlands, Nairobi, is a masterclass in modern day exploitation. Kenyans pay hundreds of dollars, wait in the sun, get misinformed, and walk away feeling less human. The new venue at Principal Place (yes, they left 9West) has no proper waiting area and no parking. This is by design to have you pay 17K for their VIP/Premium “services “ If you’re not paying for premium services, you’re left outside in the heat, on the pavement. Elderly people, parents with kids, students, all treated like a security threat Their Communication is Trash. You get vague emails like “your passport is ready for collection ” only to be turned away and told “collection is from 2pm to 5pm, (you can easily indicate that on the same damn email) That means if you show up at 10am, you’ll have to wait till 2pm or you can easily pay the 17K to be attended to quickly.. ?? EXPLOITATION No clear timeline. No courtesy. You’re meant to guess your way through it. These centers aren’t run by embassies, they’re outsourced to private companies who monetize your desperation. It’s a business, not a service. And guess what? No refund if your visa is denied(familiar?) The worst part? This is normalized. We’ve accepted that applying for a visa means surrendering your dignity just to maybe be allowed into a country that benefits from our labor, money, and talent. If Global North countries want to charge Africans these high fees and accord them zero dignity , the bare minimum should be basic human respect. Decent waiting areas. Transparent timelines and Fair communication. This isn’t about security. It’s about power and exploitation… This system needs to be called out and changed. And it’s time African governments started protecting their citizens from this daylight exploitation.