Detectives have arrested 26 people including civil servants, chiefs, businessmen and freelance brokers over an alleged scheme that illegally facilitated the issuance of crucial government documents.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the group was part of a coordinated network that helped individuals obtain National IDs, passports, birth certificates and Foreigner/Alien ID cards through corrupt shortcuts.
According to the DCI, the arrests followed a carefully planned two-day multi-agency operation that exposed “a disturbing network of collusion” involving officers from the National Registration Bureau, the Directorate of Immigration, local administrators and private intermediaries.
“Civil servants brazenly bypassed laid-down procedures, exploiting their positions to facilitate the illicit registration and issuance of sensitive documents,” the agency said, adding that the racket “severely compromised the integrity of government systems and exposed the country to grave security risks, including the undocumented entry and exit of individuals.”
During the raid, officers recovered a large haul of government documents and equipment hidden in the homes of some of the suspects — items that should never leave government offices.
Among the materials seized were filled and blank ID application forms, fingerprint-taking kits, birth and death certificates, passports, official government stamps and other registration tools.
The suspects include officials from Registrar of Persons offices in Embakasi, Kamukunji, Kariokor and the NSSF Building headquarters, clerks from Immigration, assistant chiefs from Eastleigh and Eastleigh North, as well as freelance middlemen and businessmen.
They were identified as Judy Kemunto Ondari, Moses Mugoya Margaret, Ruth Osebe Sukuru, Jawahir Mohamed Muse, Moulid Yusuf Dige, Mohamed Issack Gedow, Abdirizak Osman Rage, Alfred Opia Ayaway, Abdirizak Abdi, Abdirashid Mohamed Ali, Festus Bahati Chai, Abdirizack Bashir Farah, Samatar Osman Robne, Fuadh Bulle Mohamed, Geoffrey Mokoro Mutanya, Joseph Mwendwa Munyithia, AbdiKadir Mohamed Dahir, Berrick Kororia Maghas Sukuru, David Korir, Titus Mwanga Nthenge, Yahya Daud Manor, Issack Abdow Mohammed, Nelson Katana Kazungu, Daniel Munywoki Kavuwa, Abdullahi Abdi Khamisi and Abdirahman Roba Guyo.
All 26 are being processed by a multi-agency team ahead of their arraignment. The DCI said the crackdown reflects its “unwavering commitment to safeguard the integrity of government systems and hold accountable all those who exploit them for personal gain.”
