89 illegal Ethiopian immigrants charged in Kenya

Written By:Dzuya Walter , Posted: Thu, Aug 19, 2010

Eighty nine Ethiopian nationals on Thursday appeared before a Kibera court charged with being in the country illegally.

The aliens who were seized in Nairobi's Dagoretti estate pleaded guilty to the charges but Kibera senior Principal Magistrate Grace Nzioka set the case for mention on Friday to provide the prosecution with more time to consolidate its facts.

The case for the foreigners, all men was merged as they faced similar charges that on August 18 at Gachungu village in Dagoretti District being citizens of Ethiopia, they were found in Kenya without valid permits.

Police arrested the aliens during an early morning raid at Nairobi's Dagoretti area where they were found crowded in a three bed roomed house.

The Ethiopians aged between 18 and 45 years are said to have been staying in the house in Dagoreti for close to a week before it was raided by the police.

They are believed to have been on transit to South Africa in what could be a case of human trafficking. During the arrest some of the aliens are said to have told the police that they had traveled from Ethiopia for close to two months, and were hoping to head to South Africa and Malawi where they were promised jobs.

The case comes barely two months after another 44 Ethiopians were arrested under similar circumstances in Ngong town on the outskirts of Nairobi as they prepared to travel to South Africa.