Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested 26 individuals for facilitating corrupt issuance of vital government documents including national identity cards, passports, birth certificates, and foreigner-cum-alien ID cards.

According to an update by the DCI on Monday, the suspects include workers at the National Registration Bureau, and the Directorate of Immigration.

Others held following the DCI crackdown are chiefs, brokers and middlemen as well as financiers of these illegal schemes that saw individuals obtain documents through corrupt means.

"Investigations have uncovered a disturbing network of collusion, where civil servants brazenly bypassed laid-down procedures, exploiting their positions to facilitate the illicit registration and issuance of sensitive documents," the DCI stated. 

It added: "This criminal enterprise severely compromises the integrity of government systems and exposes the country to grave security risks, including the undocumented entry and exit of individuals."

DCI noted that their crackdown saw detectives seize a significant haul of government documents and tools found hidden in the homes of some suspects, materials that should strictly remain within authorized government offices. 

"The recovered items included: Filled and blank National ID application forms, fingerprint-taking equipment (slabs, rollers, and related instruments), birth and death certificates, passports, official government stamps, and other registration materials."

The arrested suspects include: Judy Kemunto Ondari, Registrar of Persons office, Embakasi; Moses Mugoya Margaret, Clerk at the Registrar of Persons Head office, NSSF Building; Ruth Osebe Sukuru, Registrar of Persons office, Kamukunji; Jawahir Mohamed Muse, Assistant Chief, Eastleigh North.

Also arrested were: businessman Moulid Yusuf Dige, Mohamed Issack Gedow, Assistant Chief, Eastleigh; Abdirizak Osman Rage, a middleman; Alfred Opia Ayaway, a middleman; Abdirizak Abdi, electronics technician and Abdirashid Mohamed Ali, Clerk at Shima Group International.

The swoop also arrested fingerprints technician, registrar of person’s head office Festus Bahati Chai; Abdirizack Bashir Farah, a middleman; Samatar Osman Robne, a businessman; Fuadh Bulle Mohamed, a businessman; Geoffrey Mokoro Mutanya, Clerk at Immigration Head office; Joseph Mwendwa Munyithia, Registrar of Persons office, Kariokor.

Also in the soup are AbdiKadir Mohamed Dahir, a businessman; Berrick Kororia Maghas Sukuru, registrar of person’s office, Kamukunji; David Korir, clerk at registrar of person’s head office; Titus Mwanga Nthenge, senior subordinate staff, registrar of persons, head office; Yahya Daud Manor, Issack Abdow Mohammed, Nelson Katana Kazungu, Daniel Munywoki Kavuwa, Abdullahi Abdi Khamisi, and Abdirahman Roba Guyo.

"This operation underscores the unwavering commitment of law enforcement agencies to safeguard the integrity of government systems and hold accountable all those who exploit them for personal gain," the DCI said.

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