Kenya: Police officers at the Makongeni Police Station in Thika town are being investigated after they arrested and released illegal immigrants in unclear circumstances.
A team of detectives from CID headquarters is investigating two separate incidents in which at least 11 immigrants were arrested and later released.
Three of them were arrested on February 16 and another 15 on March 1.
Director of CID Ndegwa Muhoro said they were investigating the circumstances under which the incidents happened.
According to police records, the first three foreigners were arrested and put in custody on February 16.
The suspects identified as Awa Ali Salat, Ali Abdulahi Mohamed and Abdikadir Abdulahi Farah were booked in cells and OB number was given as 25/16/2/2015.
A few hours later, another entry was made in the OB, 38/16/2/2015, which indicated that the three had been taken to court.
They were however not taken to court. The officers who were supposed to take them to court reportedly released them on the way. There are no records to show the suspects were charged.
Officials now want to establish those behind the incident and if they were bribed.
In the second incident, the officers at the station arrested 15 suspects who were travelling in a bus from Garissa.
The suspects were declared illegal immigrants after it emerged they did not have travel and identification documents.
They were booked under OB number 26/1/3/2015. Seven of them were reportedly handed over to Anti-Terrorism Police Unit detectives for further interrogation while the remaining eight were taken to the Thika Law Courts, where they were convicted and sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison each or a fine of Sh170,000 each after they pleaded guilty.
Because they had been in police custody for two days, the fine was reduced to Sh168,800.
They paid the fines and were returned to Makongeni Police Station awaiting deportation. There are no records indicating that they were taken back to Somalia.
Officials say the suspects were never deported. Instead, they were released.
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"We believe the suspects were determined to stay in Kenya and had an agent supporting them," said an officer aware of the probe.
Thika West OCPD Erastus Muthamia did not respond to our telephone calls.
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