The 56 Ethiopians arrested for being in the country illegally have been freed by a court in Machakos.
Resident Magistrate Silas Kandie, sitting in Mavoko Law Courts, on Wednesday, discharged all the suspects and ordered the state to facilitate their repatriation.
The suspects have been in custody at Mavoko SNP police station since October 25, when they were arrested after police smoked them from a house at Githunguri within Mlolongo division in Machakos county.
The court noted that the suspects had been held against the law and treated inhumanly.
“The court shall not impose a penal consequence. They are all discharged as listed in the charge sheet under Section 35(1) of the penal code,” Kandie stated in the order seen by the Star.
“The government to facilitate repatriation to the county of origin. They may be held as progress commences. The translator be paid his translation fees. The investigation officer is to inform the court of the progress on 1/11/2024."
Their discharge came barely a day after Kahawa Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court ordered the repatriation of the 19 Ethiopians remanded at Joska police station for being in the country illegally.
The same court had earlier ordered their placement in the remand following a Criminal Case NO. E. 102 OF 2024.
They were on Wednesday moved from Joska police station to the Industrial Area after they became unruly, demanding their immediate repatriation claiming that they had overstayed in the remand.
The aliens placed in Joska police station cells within the Athi River subcounty on Tuesday protested being in police custody, claiming they had been detained for a long time.
The suspects had been in the cells since August 30, 2024, after they were found hiding in a house within the Joska area following a tip-off from members of the public.
On Tuesday, they refused to take their breakfast, lunch, supper and instead cried loudly after acting dead; they refused to speak.
“The 19 Ethiopian aliens who were remanded at the station for being in the country illegally pending repatriation today agitated; they have overstayed in custody for more than two months,” a police report seen by the Star reads in part.
“They are demanding to be repatriated back to their country of origin. They refused to take tea, speak, and are crying loudly."
A video seen by the Star shows the remandees crying loudly inside the police cells at the station. Independent sources told the Star that it wasn’t the first time the aliens refused to eat in the cells.
Police said that the group were moved to Industrial Area remand relevant authorities made necessary arrangements for their repatriation as ordered by the court.
In both incidences, a police source told the Star that lots of logistics were needed to effect the repatriation.
“The repatriation process is being conducted at higher levels of the National Police Service, it needs lots of logistics, hence proper resource mobilization and planning for the same. We are, however, hopeful that the process will be completed soon and all the aliens will be repatriated as ordered by the courts,” the senior cop told the Star on Wednesday.
