A multi-agency operation has led to the arrest of nine suspects allegedly involved in the illegal issuance of National Identity Cards and other government documents.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 7, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspects comprise five officers from the National Registration Bureau (NRB), two brokers, and two foreign nationals believed to have benefited from or facilitated the illegal process.
“The NRB officers charged in the scheme are Titus Muasya Nthenge, Judy Kemunto, Festus Bahat Chai, Moses Mogaya, and Ruth Osebe, whose arrests followed weeks of painstaking investigations by detectives.
“They were arraigned alongside brokers Yahya Daudi and Abdikadir Mohamed Dahir, who allegedly acted as intermediaries in securing the fraudulent acquisition of identity cards for unqualified applicants,” DCI stated.
The authorities also arrested two foreigners: a Burundian national, Mauris Havyarimana, and a Rwandese national, Victor Kamanda.
During the raid conducted in Zimmerman, detectives recovered 19 stamps from various government agencies, three driving licences, each bearing different licence numbers but all belonging to Kamanda, Ugandan ID cards, a Democratic Republic of Congo voter’s card and several other incriminating items believed to have been used in the illegal operation.
The suspects were presented before the Kahawa Law Courts by Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) detectives, where they pleaded not guilty.
The court granted each of the accused persons a bond of Ksh 500,000 or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 50,000, with one contact person.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to apprehend and bring to book more suspects involved in this fraudulent scheme.
“This operation underscores the DCI’s commitment to dismantling networks engaged in identity fraud and safeguarding the integrity of Kenya’s national identification system,” DCI added.
