Nairobi News

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10 Chinese nationals working illegally in Kenya freed on Sh2m bond

By Hilary Kimuyu February 28th, 2020 1 min read

A Nairobi court on Friday freed 10 Chinese nationals, who were arrested in Athi River on Wednesday without valid work permits, on a bond of Sh2 million each and a surety of similar amount.

They denied two counts of engaging in employment without a work permit and being unlawfully in Kenya.

Police said the 10 were rounded up after they received a tip-off from members of the public.

The 10 were charged before court on Thursday for engaging in employment without work permit contrary to section 53(m) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act.

Plea-taking was deferred

However, plea-taking was deferred to Friday and the suspects remanded.

In 2018, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i said foreign citizens found to be illegally holding Kenyan work papers will have them revoked and deported.

The Government later set up a hotline mobile telephone number for members of the public to report suspicious foreigners.

Kenyans were asked to call 0745-660-151 by the Department of Immigration Services.

The hotline was posted on the official Twitter handle of the Immigration Department, but it did not elaborate on what the public should be looking out in identifying the illegal immigrants.

Other than taking menial jobs, some illegal immigrants have been accused of engaging in crime.

In the past year, detectives have arrested tens of foreigners, some in the country illegally, accused of fleecing Kenyans through Sim Swap fraud, engaging in cyberbullying, child trafficking among other offences.