Fifteen people have been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on allegations of soliciting citizens' bribes to facilitate passport issuance at Nyayo House in Nairobi.

In a statement, DCI’s Transnational Organized Crime unit said the 15 who were nabbed include 6 Department of Immigration Services staff and nine suspected brokers.

Further, the detectives said that a manhunt for more suspects who fled the scene upon getting wind of the operation is still underway and that they will soon be brought to book.

“In the classic case of grand corruption, members of the public and foreigners seeking passports and work permits respectively have been forced to part with huge sums of money to access services, after the rogue officials took advantage of a temporary system downtime to satisfy their sheer greed for extras,” read part of the statement.

“The crooked officials went ahead to plant brokers around the facility, to entice and collect funds from desperate applicants with emergency cases, as well as persons of means who were able to influence special treatment at the expense of ordinary Kenyans who procedurally tendered their applications.”

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The investigative agency said the operation conducted on Monday, after “meticulous forensic analysis and profiling,” initially led to the arrest of four staff – including an intern – and one broker.

The staff were Nicodemus Muide, Aloise Gitonga Kiura, Stephen Makokha, and intern Esther Ogega Nyambura, aka Pauline Nyangara Ogega, while the broker was Mohamud Khalif Maalim.

“Confronted by the facts of the allegations laid against him, Mr Muide unfortunately fell ill and was rushed to AAR Hospital along Kiambu Road where he was diagnosed with heart attack and high sugar levels,” DCI stated.

“He was released on bail to continue with treatment as detectives sought custodial orders for the rest of the suspects at Kahawa Law Courts to complete investigations. The suspect has since recuperated.”

The investigators subsequently carried out a second operation.

 They detained eight brokers, including Abdullahi Abdirahman Ali, Bashir Ore Ibrahim, Damaris Kwamboka Bosire, Charles Mucheru Mwangi, George Karancha Obare, Domiciano Makori Oketch, Isaac Mbulo, and Luke Lang'at, in addition to staff member Joseph Ireri Karani.

The detectives continued by stating that they intend to use evidence of a money trail that led to immigration agents and their stand-ins during the prosecution of the accused that has subsequently come to light as a result of their ongoing investigations.