Kenya – (warsoor) – Three Ethiopian nationals arrested in Samburu County for being in Kenya illegally and being in possession of fake passports have been jailed for six months.
Mamush Lagiso, Abreham Olbamo and Getahun Teketel, all Ethiopians, were arrested on November 3 in Wamba along the Isiolo-Moyale highway aboard a bus heading towards Nairobi.
Appearing before Isiolo Principal Magistrate Evanson Ngigi on Thursday, the foreigners pleaded guilty to being in the country illegally and sought repatriation orders.
The three were also charged with being in possession of Ethiopian passports whose endorsement was forged for purposes of gaining entry into the country, which they denied.
The passports had serial numbers EP5038017, EP5462686 and EP5493622.
The court directed that the three pay a Sh50,000 fine or serve six months imprisonment for the first count. The hearing of the second count was scheduled for January 13, 2020.
Another case in which three other Ethiopian nationals were charged with being in possession of counterfeit immigrations documents will also be heard on the same date.
The three are Lamboro Petros, Mukerem Omer and Belmeku Ale Degele. More than 120 foreigners have been arrested along the Isiolo-Moyale highway and arraigned in the past four months.
The immigrants are usually looking for a fresh start in life through employment and often claim innocence in court, saying they come to seek casual jobs in Nairobi.