Four Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers and two airport officials have reportedly been fired to allow room for investigations over human trafficking at JKIA between 2018 and 2019.
A letter signed by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Kenya Police Service Edward Mbugua reads: “From reliable information reaching this office it is alleged that on diverse dates in 2018 and 2019 jointly with other police officers and Immigration offices at JKIA you have been involved in human trafficking.”
The investigative officials and airport officers have been linked to the multi-million dollar syndicate.
A close observation started after the US Department of State raised concerns that there were no investigations into official complicity, despite credible reports of traffickers obtaining fraudulent identity documents from corrupt officials.
The officers have been taken off duty to allow for investigations and further probing on February 7th, 2019.
“Investigations into the allegations have been instituted to establish the truth. In order not to interfere with potential witnesses, I have decided to interdict you from duty with effect from February 7, 2019,” stated Mbugua.
Such activity is exposing the country to serious security threat according to investigation by detectives from the DCI and NIS and other agencies, which revealed further collusion between police officers, Kenya Airports Authority, immigration department and some other recruiting agencies.
Kenya continues to battle with illegal recruiters with networks in Uganda and Ethiopia and who recruit Ugandan, Rwandese and Ethiopian workers through fraudulent offers in the Middle East and Asia, according to US Department of State’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report.
In October 2018, some airport officials were dismissed on allegation of involving themselves in smuggling Ugandans to Middle East for odd jobs like porters, househelps, watchmen among others.