51 Somalis still in cells awating deportation flight
Fifty one illegal Somali immigrants are still held at Kasarani police station because their deportation flight is not full.
They have to wait for 49 others to be arrested and deportation orders issued against them as the chartered flight has a 100 passenger capacity, according to immigration officials.
Deputy director of immigration Somba Kivalya said the deportees would have to make do with accommodation at the police station.
He said there was little his department could do to speed up the process.
“This has been purely a police operation and we only come in at the tail-end.
Deportation order
“We only get a list from the CID director to prepare a deportation order for the Cabinet Secretary to sign,” said Mr Kivalya.
The Government has already deported 172 illegal immigrants arrested during the ongoing crackdown.
The fate of other East African nationals also found living in the country illegally remains unclear. Police have not furnished the immigration department with the list of people to be deported.
“We are not aware if the courts have ordered other deportations. The police are better placed to know why the deportees are still in police custody,” said Mr Kivalya.
Deportees are allowed by law to cater for their travel costs back to their countries but where they are not financially able, deporting authorities are under obligation to facilitate their travel.
Among those still detained is 27-year-old Zephania Joel, a Tanzanian who said he did not know when he would be deported.