Police on Thursday arrested 19 Ethiopian nationals after they were found hidden in Joska, Machakos County.
The suspects had been hosted at a house within Waswa village in Muthwani, Athi River, South subcounty before police pounced on them.
They, according to police, were destined for South Africa where they say they would get better jobs. They are aged between 16 and 29.
Two other people, a male aged 72 and his female counterpart aged 33 said to be the aliens’ hosts were nabbed during the police swoop.
Police say they had been tipped off about the movement of the suspects in custody.
“They are under interrogation to know more about their movements. They don’t have documents to warrant their being here,” a police source told the Star shortly after the arrests.
The matter was reported to the Joska police station as a trafficking in-person incident.
Police said the arrests were made following intelligence information received from members of the public by the officers attached to Joska police station.
"Mohammed Noor-Burji, male aged 72 years and Nasibo Mohammed Noor-Burji, female aged 33 years, both from Marsabit County to be charged with trafficking in persons contrary to Section 3(1)(d) as read with Section 3(5) of the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act No 8 of 2010," the source said.
“They will be charged with being unlawfully present in the country contrary to Section 53(2) of Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011,” he said.
