KITUI, KENYA:ย A 34-year-old man has been arrested in Kitui County with 23 Kenyan passports.
Karimjee Ahmed Ali was arrested in Voo, Mutha Division in Kitui South Sub County Wednesday by inquisitive police officers who were aroused by the numerous passports in his possession that had different names.
Mutomo OCPD Thomas Ngheiwha confirmed the arrest of the suspect whose parents migrated to Voo some years back.
The OCPD said the 23 passports bore names and identities of people from Mombasa, Kwale, Embu, Nairobi, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia, Laikipia, Busia, Emuhaya and Kiambu.
“We have arrested the suspect and handed him over to the Kitui County CID officers for more interrogation and subsequent charging. Initially the suspect claimed he obtained the passports from the owners in order to secure them jobs in Saudi Arabia,” Ngheiwha said.
A security agent who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity said the Kitui South Game Reserve was feared to be hideout for terrorists from Somalia.
The senior officer confessed that the reserve could be Al-Shabaab safe havens, where attacks are planned.
“The aliens work in cahoots with cartels in Nairobi and other major towns in the county. The cartels sent money through mobile phone transfer to these agents in Kitui, Mwingi, Ukasi and other parts of the county where these Somalis operate. There seem to be coordinated arrangements to defeat justice,” the source said.
The officer said for the last month, police had arrested over 60 Somali nationals and charged them for being unlawfully in the country.
