A group of 14 Congolese nationals were at the weekend detained by police for being in the country illegally.
The group was found stranded at a petrol station in Busia Town on Saturday December 6, 2025, police said.
They were waiting for a driver of a van to pick them to Nairobi where they were headed to, they told the police.
They are believed to have entered the country through ungazetted routes in the area, police said.
Police added the group did not have any documents for their travel. The smuggler switched off his mobile phone and vanished on learning police had nabbed the group.
They were detained in custody pending processing and possible repatriation to their country.
Such incidents have been on the rise in the border towns where foreigners use unofficial routes to access the country.
Police say most of the foreigners are from Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The majority of the victims are Ethiopians who argue are on transit to South Africa and the Middle East.
Last week, at least 44 Ethiopians and Eritreans were detained at the Kibish border, Turkana County as they tried to dramatically cross to Kenya, police said.
Police said they also detained ten Somalis in Kanduyi, Bungoma County while being transported in a salon car from Uganda. They said they were headed for Eldoret and were from a refugee camp in Uganda.
The group said they were running from problems in their country and headed to South Africa, seeking greener pastures.
Police said most of the aliens use the Moyale route as they head to South Africa and the Middle East, oblivious of the dangers ahead.
Tens of aliens are often arrested in various places in the country as they wait to be moved to their next destinations.
Police and immigration officials have deplored increased cases of Ethiopian and Eritrean aliens nabbed in the country while in transit.
Officials from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit are conducting joint operations to deal with human smuggling.
Tens of Ethiopians and now Eritreans are annually arrested in Kenya while in transit and later deported.
Most of those arrested come to Kenya to seek jobs or are in transit to other countries like South Africa and the Middle East.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
