Kajiado police arrest 90 suspected Ethiopians over illegal entry
Some of the Ethiopian illegal immigrants who were caught while hiding in a cave in Loitoktok, Kajiado County, on March 13, 2023.
Police in Loitoktok, Kajiado South sub-County, are holding 90 illegal immigrants, including minors, who were intercepted while travelling from Nairobi to Tarakea town on the Kenya-Tanzania border.
According to the police report seen by the Nation, the vehicle registration number KCB 548K Isuzu Canter ferrying Ethiopian nationals was intercepted by officers at a roadblock at Imbirikani on the Emali-Loitokitok road on Tuesday night.
In the truck were 37 male adults and 53 minors, the youngest being 10 years old. The driver of the vehicle, who is a resident of Loitokitok town, was arrested.
"The driver claimed to have been contracted by an unknown person from Nairobi to ferry the Ethiopian nationals to one male person introduced to him as Ken within Loitoktok area,” read the report on police Occurrence Book (OB NO) 05/19/02/2024 entry.
The immigrants were suspected of being part of a human trafficking syndicate planning to cross the porous Kenya-Tanzania border into Tanzania en route to South Africa
It remains unclear how the immigrants managed to travel the 183 kilometres from Nairobi to Imbirikani undetected.
The foreigners are being held for further questioning, while the driver will be charged with human trafficking. The vehicle was taken to Imbirikani Police Station.
The porous Kenya-Tanzania border has recently become an easy route for human trafficking.
Last year, 32 suspected Ethiopian illegal immigrants were arrested by police officers while hiding in a quarry in Kiwanja Ndege area of Loitokitok sub-County.
The immigrants were arrested by police officers acting on a tip-off from members of the public who spotted them hiding in the quarry.
