Four People Suspected to Be Passports Cartels Arrested at Nyayo House

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested four people from Nyayo House over bribery allegations.

Nairobi Leo has learnt that the four were arrested on claims that they were soliciting bribes and defrauding Kenyans seeking immigration services.

The four arrested are Ahmed Ibrahim Sheikh, Hassan Mohamed Hosman Josphat Khamandi Manyonyi and Howard Tsimbagi alias Button. The four were booked at Central Police Station.

Kenyans had raised concerns over the runaway corruption that had plagued the immigration department, costing thousands of Kenyan opportunities that require documents such as passports.

The arrest comes barely a week after Interior CS Kithure Kindiki vowed to crack the whip on cartels at Nyayo House which he said had turned the Immigration department into a crime scene.

Speaking before a parliamentary Committee on Public Relations on Thursday, Kindiki said he would not hesitate to crack the whip on those behind the current mess 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 went on to point out that while there are good officers at the department, a few others have been harassing Kenyans and soliciting bribes to be able to provide services that they are supposed to provide for free.

"I have managed greater challenges in the last 10 months and I think some of the issues that were running out of hand are now manageable. I will take the challenge which 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 to Teleposta as early as 6 am. We will rid that place of all criminals including brokers who extort money."