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Language hitch delays case against 101 illegal migrants [Daily Nation]

courts 101 ethiopian migrants Daily Nation

By STELLA CHERONO
A case against 101 Ethiopians accused of being in Kenya illegally has delayed due to lack of an Amharic interpreter.

The foreigners, who are said to have been on their way to South Africa, did not have travel documents, police told the Nation.

They were arrested on Monday in Tassia Estate in Nairobi where they were living in squalid conditions in a three-bedroomed house.

The house hardly had a place for one to stand, was filthy and littered with trash.

Police took the men to Makadara Law Courts Tuesday but they could not take pleas due to lack of an interpreter.

Head of the Special Crime Prevention Unit Noah Katumo said: “They did not have travel documents and that is why we arrested them.”
He said there had been several similar cases but police have been on the look out.

LOOKED FRAIL
In court, the foreigners looked frail and fatigued and rarely talked to each other. Two of them fainted.

They said, through sign language, that they had been travelling for seven days and had not eaten.

Mr Katumo said police received information that three lorries had brought in the men on Monday morning. However, they are yet to find any of the lorries.
Three Kenyans suspected to have hosted the Ethiopians were arrested.

“We are concerned about these kind of immigrants because of the threat of terror the country is facing,” said Mr Katumo.

The arrest came as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission met representatives from various government agencies to discuss corruption at the borders.

The meeting is expected come up with a strategy to check influx of refugees, mostly from Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia.

Investigations attribute influx of illegal immigrants into Kenya to corruption, conspiracy and complacency among Kenyan law enforcers.

About 300 illegal immigrants are arrested in Kenya every month.

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