4 Arrested At Nyayo House In Crackdown On Passport Cartels

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested four people from Nyayo House suspected to be among the cartels that have been defrauding Kenyans seeking passports as the crackdown on corrupt officials at Kenya's immigration department steps up.

Viral Tea has learnt that the four were picked up by DCI sleuths and booked at Central Police Station on Friday, last week. 

The four were arrested on claims of soliciting bribes and defrauding Kenyans seeking immigration services.

They include Ahmed Ibrahim Sheikh, Hassan Mohamed Hosman Josphat Khamandi Manyonyi and Howard Tsimbagi alias Button. They will be charged with the offence of preparing to commit a felony and conspiracy to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. 

The suspects' phones were also confiscated and submitted for further analysis to support further investigations.

The arrests followed complaints from Kenyans who were forced to put their travels on hold after the department took too long to process passports which has been blamed on corruption, faulty printing machines, and a shortage of booklets.

While appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Security on Thursday, August 24, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki accused cartels at Nyayo House of delaying and sabotaging the efficient printing of passports.

According to the CS, some of Kenya's ongoing problems, such as insecurity and terrorism, can be traced back to corruption at Nyayo House.

"I have received credible intelligence that could suggest that part of our problems in the processing of our passport is corruption. We have a problem with immigration. I want to commit that I will provide leadership there; we will clean Nyayo House of corruption and all manner of crimes," Kindiki said.

He called out officers at the department who have been harassing Kenyans and soliciting bribes to be able to provide services that were meant to be for free, warning that this is one of the corruption scenarios at Nyayo House that have frustrated Kenyans, including young graduates who are looking for opportunities out of the country owing to the long delays.

Kindiki vowed to crack down on the trouble-making cartels at Nyayo House to streamline the effective processing and delivery of passports, adding that if need be, he would declare Nyayo House a crime scene.

"I have managed greater challenges in the last 10 months and I think some of the issues that were really running out of hand are now manageable. I will take the challenge that has been given to me. I will spend good time there physically to provide leadership that is required to clean up that Nyayo House," he said.

"If need be, we will seal off that place and declare it a scene of crime. You cannot have a public office where Kenyans queue all the way to Teleposta as early as 6 a.m. We will rid that place of all criminals including brokers who extort money."