Kenyans exposed as illegal aliens sneak in at will

Questions are being raised about the state of our border security following an increasing number of illegal immigrants sneaking into Kenya. Within a span of four days, 61 foreigners have been arrested in Coast Province for entering the country without valid documents.

This comes at a time when Kenya is being threatened by the Al-Shabaab militia group in neighbouring war-torn Somalia. The 61 aliens — 35 Somalis, 14 Ethiopians, eight Bangladeshis and four Dutch nationals — were arrested in three districts in the province.

Lamu deputy police commander Stephen Limo said that among those arrested in his region were four people suspected to be in close connection with the Al-Shabaab militia group. Mr Limo said the four were ferried to Nairobi for further questioning.

The police boss said that even though the group had genuine passports, they were not stamped by immigration officials to legalise their stay in Kenya.

No man’s land

The 61 arrests were made just a week after the Immigration and Registration of Persons minister Otieno Kajwang’ toured the province and reiterated that the Somalia border is still closed. Mr Kajwang’ said the government was also in the process of moving its border control points close to ‘No Man’s Land’ to enhance security.

“The government has decided to move the Lunga-Lunga, Moyale, Taveta and Mandera control points closer to the border to enhance security which is being threatened by the increasing number of illegal immigrants,” said Mr Kajwang’.

During his tour, Mr Kajwang’ complained of the rising cases of human trafficking and smuggling of goods. On his part, Mombasa police boss Tom Odero said those arrested in his area had been posing as tourists in the past one month. They either had forged or expired passports, he said.

Mr Odero also acknowledged that there was a rise in human trafficking cases in the tourist town. “People have taken advantage of the tourist high season to cash in on their human trafficking business while using Mombasa as a connecting point to other countries,” he said.

The police boss said his officers have identified unregistered guest houses which are being used by human trafficking agents to accommodate foreigners. According to a police officer who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media, the current influx of illegal immigrants is a result of the increasing number of porous routes at Kiunga in Lamu and Vanga in Msambweni.

He said the immigrants have taken advantage of the illegal routes to sneak into the country without being registered by immigration officers at the border points. “Human trafficking is on the increase because of porous border points and they take advantage of the laxity of police at the borders to sneak into the country. Even drug traffickers use the same routes to supply drugs,” said the officer.

Msambweni DC Gilbert Kitiyo said lack of well demarcated border points at the Indian Ocean is the major contributor to the influx of illegal immigrants. Mr Kitiyo said there are many Tanzanians who are staying in the country illegally.

“It takes long to repatriate those already in the country, but we are working closely with the immigration department to put beacons to ensure that the border is well demarcated and that all illegal routes are policed,” said the DC.

Earlier, Coast Provincial Commissioner Ernest Munyi asked the police to intensify patrols along Kenya’s borders following the increase of drug smuggling. In Mombasa’s South Coast, the influx of illegal immigrants has raised concern among area residents, who say they are taking up their jobs.

The Nation has established that thousands of Somali and Tanzanian citizens have moved into several areas of Likoni, Kwale and Msambweni, with some even acquiring Kenyan identity cards.

Guards and househelps

In Likoni alone, about 3,000 immigrants from the two countries are employed as guards and house helps. And the locals are up in arms, claiming that the foreigners are rendering them jobless.

“We have become jobless since Tanzanians and Somalis are now employed as guards and house helps in several parts of South Coast,” said a Likoni resident who declined to be named.

He added that the immigrants are paid as little as Sh1,000 per month while Kenyans demanded about Sh4,000. The Nation learnt that the immigrants get into the country through illegal routes along the border at Lunga-Lunga and Taveta. Police said that there has been some laxity, but added that they have beefed up security and sealed all the illegal entry points.

Kwale police commander Nelson Okioga said that early this month, 47 Ethiopians who were trying to cross to Tanzania were arrested at the Lunga-Lunga border point. Mr Okioga said the group was seized following a tip off from members of the public.

In Taita-Taveta, police boss Herbert Khaemba said that cases of foreigners entering the country illegally through the Taveta border have reduced significantly. “We have increased police patrols at the border. In the last two months, we have arrested very few people from Tanzania who try to enter our country without valid documents,” said Mr Khaemba.