By Renson Mnyamwezi

Scores of foreigners who have completed their sentences in Taveta GK Prison have not been deported due to logistical challenges.

The foreigners, mainly Ethiopian nationals numbering 80, are still in remand prison two weeks after they were released after completion of their three months sentence, straining and congesting the facility.

The incident comes at a time when merchants have withdrawn from supplying goods and services to the four penal institutions in the region over delayed payment of more than Sh80 million.

Local police and immigration officials said they had now been forced to feed the released foreigners with little resources allocated to them by the Government.

suppplies

The authorities are said to be relying on relief supplies from the District Commissioner’s office and well wishers to feed the foreigners.

Taveta DC Heribae Nkaduda and OCPD Paul Kisang said deporting the foreigners has become a major problem due to scarce resources.

Mr Kisang said the food and ration account was inadequate to feed extra detainees.

“We’re supposed to give the detainees Sh20 for breakfast, Sh30 for lunch and Sh30 for supper until they are deported and the account is empty. We’ve proposed to the Government to increase the account due to the increased number of foreigners,”  hesaid.

release

Coast Provincial Police Officer Aggrey Adoli said the release of the immigrants must be taken care of by the department of immigration.

“We have nothing to do with the Ethiopians, the immigration department must take them to their country,” he said.

Over 500 Ethiopian and Somali illegal immigrants have been arrested in the region in the recent past, an issue that is causing public and security concerns.

Immigration officials interviewed said the porous borders coupled with staff shortage remains a major challenge in the fight against human trafficking and smuggling of goods in the area.

Police and the Kenya Wildlife Service have also smashed a syndicate in which foreigners are hidden in the park and later secretly transported to Tanzania.