A multi-agency operation led to the arrest and arraignment of nine suspects linked to an elaborate scheme involving the unlawful issuance of National Identity Cards and other vital government documents.
The suspects comprise five officers from the National Registration Bureau (NRB), two brokers, and two foreign nationals believed to have benefited from or facilitated the illegal process.
The NRB officers charged in the scheme are Titus Muasya Nthenge, Judy Kemto, Festus Bahat Chai, Moses Mogaya, and Ruth Osebe, whose arrests followed weeks of painstaking investigations by detectives. They were arraigned alongside brokers Yahya Daudi and Abdikadir Mohamed Dahir, who allegedly acted as intermediaries in securing the fraudulent acquisition of identity cards for unqualified applicants.
Also arrested were two foreigners who included a Burundian national, Mauris Havyarimana, and a Rwandan national, Victor Kamanda.
During a raid conducted in Zimmerman, detectives recovered 19 stamps from various government agencies, three driving licences, each bearing different licence numbers but all belonging to Kamanda, Ugandan ID cards, a Democratic Republic of Congo voter’s card and several other incriminating items believed to have been used in the illegal operation.
The suspects were presented before the Kahawa Law Courts by Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) detectives, where they pleaded not guilty.
The court granted each of the accused persons a bond of Sh500,000 or an alternative cash bail of Sh50,000, with one contact person.
Judy Kemunto, who had earlier been released on cash bail, did not avail herself. Her defence lawyer said her child was unwell.
The court gave orders that she plead to the charges on January 21, 2026.
In addition, the prosecution opposed the granting of bond to the two foreign nationals. Their bond application is scheduled for hearing on January 8, 2026.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to apprehend and bring to book more suspects involved in this fraudulent scheme.
This operation underscores the DCI’s commitment to dismantling networks engaged in identity fraud and safeguarding the integrity of Kenya’s national identification system, authorities said. According to the miscellaneous application , the DCI said the racket involved the irregular issuance of passports, national IDs, and other vital documents, some allegedly granted to individuals believed to be associated with terror cells across Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
Investigators recovered a trove of government materials during the raids, including filled and blank ID application forms, fingerprints extraction tools, birth and death certificates, foreigner certificates, government stamps, passports, and multiple mobile phones.
During the operation, detectives seized a significant haul of government documents and tools found hidden in the homes of some suspects, materials that should strictly remain within authorised government offices.
The recovered items included filled and blank National ID application forms, Fingerprint-taking equipment (slabs, rollers, and related instruments), Birth and Death Certificates, Passports, Official government stamps, and other registration materials
The two-day intelligence led crackdown netted civil servants from the National Registration Bureau and the Directorate of Immigration, alongside chiefs, financiers of the illegal schemes, and middlemen who fast-tracked the issuance of these documents through corrupt channels.
Investigations have uncovered a disturbing network of collusion, where civil servants brazenly bypassed laid-down procedures, exploiting their positions to facilitate the illicit registration and issuance of sensitive documents.
This criminal enterprise severely compromises the integrity of government systems and exposes the country to grave security risks, including the undocumented entry and exit of individuals.
The detectives said a number of investigations by a multi-agency team are already ongoing to nip the scam in the bud.
Some security officials have also been accused of colluding with aliens to get into the country and also failing to repatriate foreigners declared by courts as unlawfully present in the country.
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