Police in Homa Bay on Wednesday arrested five Egyptians for being in Kenya illegally and operating businesses without permits.
Abdel Mahab, Abdel Razak, Mustafa Soliman, Ehab Mohammed and Mohammed Khayty were nabbed at Makongeni estate.
Eight cartons containing kitchenware, they are alleged to have been selling, were
confiscated. Police also found bhang of a street value of Sh200.
Speaking to journalists in his office, Homa Bay County Police Commander Marius Tum said the foreigners came to the country as tourists.
He said the
foreigners are being detained at the Homa Bay police cells.
“Officials from the Immigration Department are verifying their documents,” Tum said.
The police boss said the Egyptians will be deported back to their county should their travel visas be found to have expired.
Tum said the Egyptians hire local residents to hawk their goods because
they neither speak fluent English nor Swahili.
He said two suspects escaped arrest.
The arrest came three weeks after another Egyptian was arrested and charged with operating a business in the town illegally.
Ahmed Abdelwekel was fined Sh100,000 for lacking a permit.