Chief, three clerks in court for listing foreigners on Huduma Namba

 

A Nairobi assistant chief and three registration clerks were on Monday arraigned for allegedly listing foreigners for the ongoing Huduma Namba registration.

Joseph Cheruiyot was arraigned alongside registration clerks Wilson Wafula, Aloyee Machogu and Raphael Ogundo for registering the foreigners at a place that is not designated within Embakasi.

Investigating officer Dan Kagambo told Makadara chief magistrate Heston Nyaga that they were investigating the suspects for abuse of office. He applied to have them detained for four days pending investigations.

Nyaga declined the request and granted the suspects Sh50,000 bail each.

He directed the suspects to report to DCI Embakasi whenever required to. The case will be mentioned on May 24.

Kagambo said the suspects committed the offence on the night of May 16 and May 17 at Tassia in Embakasi.

The matter was reported at Embakasi police station leading to the arrest of the four suspects on Sunday.

“We have received information that some foreigners were being registered at Huduma centres. In view of this revelation, we need more time to investigate if this is related to a terrorist act,” Kagambo said.

He said he needed time to interview and get statements of citizens who were registered in their homes.

“There are thousands of registered citizens and we need to browse through the application forms to establish those who registered elsewhere other than the designated registration centres,” he said.

Kagambo said he needed to get a report from the cybercrime section of the DCI to know where the registration kits used by the suspects have been forwarded to.

The suspects had opposed the application to have them detained.

“Your honour, we are not charged yet, and the police can get information from us any time since we are willing to comply in assisting with investigations. We pray that you release us on lenient bond terms as investigations go on,” Cheruiyot said.

edited by p. obuya