Twenty civil registry staff have reportedly been arrested by Directorate of Criminal Investigations detectives in a raid targeting cartels in the issuance of birth, death certificates in Nairobi.
20 CIVIL Registry staff arrested by DCI in a raid targeting cartels in issuance of birth, death certificates in Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/tbfWRhULop
— CapitalFM Breaking News (@BreakingNewsKE) November 1, 2019
Following an impromptu raid meant to crack down on corruption cartels in the issuance of birth certificates, Interior cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i last Friday sent two senior officers at the Department of Civil Registration.
Dr Matiang’i also ordered the immediate arrest of brokers behind the multi-million shilling corruption industry at Bishop’s House, where the Department is based.
He assured Kenyans that the process of getting a birth certificate in Kenya will be corruption-free and much smoother this week.
Officials at the Immigration department have been complaining of receiving fake birth certificates that are issued by brokers operating outside the offices.
To address the menace, the department has been working with both public and private hospitals to issue birth certificates to parents at the institutions, and in the process address issues of corruption, inefficiency and service delivery. Civil registration officials have been camping at hospitals to register newborns and process their documentation within two weeks.
The National Police Service of Kenya has since a press release stating that within a multi-Agency framework, they have conducted an operation on the civil registration service at Bishops House following persistent complaints from members of the public on corruption and delay of services.
After conducting preliminary investigations, they revealed some government officials are being sought and should report to the nearest police station if they haven’t been arrested already to assist police with further investigations.
In addition, simultaneous operations and arrests are taking place in some hospitals in the city which are believed to have been part of the cartels adding and abetting the irregular and illegal issuance of birth certificates.
PRESS RELEASE pic.twitter.com/Ylp9SvnogZ
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) November 1, 2019
The following government officials are being sought and should report to the nearest police station;