Man charged with trafficking 36 Kenyans to Middle East

A man accused of attempting to traffic 36 women to the Middle East has been released on a Sh20,000 cash bail.

Hassan Rajab Namukhabwa (pictured) was charged with illegally and unlawfully trafficking 36 adult women contrary to the counter trafficking of persons Act (2010).

He denied the charges yesterday when he appeared before Kakamega Resident Magistrate William Lopokoiyit.

The suspect was granted Sh100,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh20,000.

According to the charge sheet, the accused had committed the offence on diverse dates between February 23 and March 1 at St Lukes International Secondary School.

He is said to have detained the women at the school in Mumias Sub-county.

The accused is alleged to have gone to several parts of the country recruiting women desperate for jobs with Al Hujra Company.

He promised to take them to Arab countries especially Saudi Arabia.

He was arrested at the school where he had allegedly housed them, while looking for more recruits.

According to prosecution documents that were also supplied to the defence, the accused was touring the large Kakamega County recruiting jobless women.

He required them to give him their birth certificates and Identification Cards.

Mr Rajab, the prosecution alleges, had duped the school management that he was housing the women for a religious seminar that would take a few days.

However, the school administration grew suspicious on the fourth day of their stay, having noticed that there was no activity going on.

Officers from Mumias Police Station were alerted and swiftly moved to the school where they rescued the women.

The matter shall be mentioned on March 18, while the hearing will be on April 18.