Three British High Commission Staff Arrested for Trespassing NIS Headquarters

Three employees at the British High Commission were Friday arrested for trespassing at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) headquarters in Nairobi.

Stephen Mbugua Kinuthia, Christopher Kinuthia, and Fredrick Muruka were arrested while taking pictures and videos of NIS headquarters along Thika Road.

The three were Monday charged in court and denied trespassing at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) headquarters in Nairobi.

They appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphine Alego at the Milimani court. The charge sheet stated that on September 8, at the NIS headquarters, the three trespassed at the high-security facility without written authority.

According to the police, the accused were arrested while taking videos of the intelligence complex in Ruaraka.

Upon arrest, the three claimed to be drivers working for the British High Commission in Nairobi. Police are still investigating to ascertain whether their claims are true. They suspect they were on a spying mission.

“They said they were on a recce mission ahead of an official visit by a British dignitary and were familiarizing themselves with some of the areas that the dignitary is expected to visit,” police said.

A four-wheel drive car that they had with the British High Commission number plates was detained by detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters along Kiambu Road. This was after they were called to pick them up after their arrest on September 8.

Detectives said the accused violated the Public Order Act, which prohibits taking photos or videos of government premises without authority.

Magistrate Alego released the accused on a bond of Sh100,000 each. The three were in breach of the Official Secrets Chapter 187 of the Laws of Kenya, which prohibits the taking of photos or videos of government premises without authority.

It is a law that prohibits the taking of photographs or making of sketches or plans of specified areas, such as military installations, government buildings, and other sensitive areas.

It is expected that the three ought to have been aware of the offense they were committing since embassies in Kenya have similar restrictions.

Furthermore, the British High Commission is one of the installations that is highly protected and restrictive.

Several Kenyan installations are under protective laws that prohibit taking of photos. They include State House and Department of Defence Headquarters.