At least 44 Ethiopians and Eritreans were detained at the Kibish border in Turkana County as they attempted to dramatically cross into Kenya, police said.
Officers said they also intercepted ten Somalis in Kanduyi, Bungoma County, who were being transported in a salon car from Uganda. The group reportedly told police they were headed to Eldoret and had come from a refugee camp in Uganda.
In the first incident at Kibish, police said the Ethiopians and Eritreans had already crossed the border and were found sitting in a bushy area in Kaguta on Tuesday. They were reportedly waiting for traffickers to move them further into Kenya.
According to police, officers had to call for reinforcement to contain and detain the group. Ethiopian authorities have since been contacted to assist in repatriating the migrants. The group spent the night at the Kibish Police Station under heavy guard ahead of the planned handover.
Police said traffickers on the Ethiopian side were coordinating the movement, with plans to transport the group to Eldoret and later Tanzania.
The migrants told officers they were headed to South Africa in search of greener pastures. Some could not communicate in English or Swahili, police noted.
In Kanduyi, police arrested ten Somalis and the driver of the salon car they were being trafficked in. They had no identification documents and claimed to be from a refugee camp in Uganda. They also said they were headed to Eldoret. The group is being held pending processing.
Authorities said Somalis are often flown from Mogadishu to Entebbe before being smuggled into Kenya for further transit. Police say such human smuggling cases have been on the rise despite ongoing efforts to curb the practice.
This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Ethiopians and Eritreans intercepted in Kenya while in transit. Police said many migrants use the Moyale route as they attempt perilous journeys to South Africa or the Middle East.
Tens of migrants are arrested annually across the country as they wait to be moved to their next destination. Police and immigration officials have raised concerns over the growing trend, with the Transnational Organised Crime Unit conducting joint operations to combat smuggling networks.
Most of those arrested are seeking employment or trying to reach other countries via Kenya.
