15 Arrested Over Passport Scam Probe at Nyayo House

The police from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation are currently detaining 15 individuals who are believed to be involved in a corruption scandal related to passport issuance at Nyayo House in Nairobi.

Fulfilling the orders from Interior and National Administration CS Kithure Kindiki while taking public protests into account, the operation commenced on October 2, 2023, and targeted six immigration service departments. Staff members, an intern and nine individuals suspected to be brokers have since been arrested yet additional culprits are at large.

The suspects deployed brokers that infiltrated the facility to prey on desperate applicants with pressing cases as well as individuals in privileged positions who could use their influence to receive special treatment at the expense of ordinary Kenyans who follow established protocols. Upon scrutinizing evidence and profiles of suspects, officers conducted a raid on the Department of Immigration Services. During this raid, they apprehended five suspects (four staff members and a broker) for further questioning.

One suspect suffered a heart attack and was found to have high sugar levels. After being granted bail for treatment, the detectives sought to detain the remaining suspects at Kahawa Law Courts for further investigation. However, the suspect has since recovered. In addition to the suspect, one employee at Nyayo House and eight brokers have also been apprehended.

The arrest of 15 individuals is a development that follows the apprehension of four suspects on August 25. The suspects were involved in soliciting bribes for passport issuance. Prior to the raid, Kindiki made several unannounced visits to Nyayo House to address the backlog of over 40,000 passport applications and implement measures to resolve the issue.