Kenyans seeking visas abroad are allegedly being ensnared in a "nightmare" of long queues and application rejections designed to push them towards costly premium services offered by VFS Global, the outsourcing firm for numerous embassies.

• VFS Global faces allegations of deliberately creating frustrating application processes to encourage the purchase of optional, but often aggressively marketed, value-added services, which have become a significant revenue stream.
• A former VFS Global staffer claims employees were trained to push premium services, with incentives for high sales, while customer accounts show a substantial portion of revenue comes from these extras.
• Investigations by Lighthouse Reports and inspections by countries like Italy and the Czech Republic have flagged "operational challenges," irregularities, and "excessive pressure" in promoting additional services at VFS Global centres, including in Kenya.