Friday, October 04, 2013

SOMALIS ARE NOT THE "ONLY" KENYAN FOREIGNERS, ILLEGALS OR REFUGEES

Eleven foreigners among them teenagers were Friday arraigned in Eldoret Law Court and charged for being in the country unlawfully contrary to section 53(1) (J) of Kenya citizenship and immigration Act 2011. The court heard that on 3rd October 2013 at Tarakwa roadblock within Uasin Gishu County being of Somali nationality, the accused were found in Kenya without legal identification documents.

They were arrested while travelling via a bus headed to Turkana from Nairobi at around 3 PM on the stated date.

This is a big story as other "illegal nationals" like Nigerians, Rwandese, Sudanese, Italian Mafias, several Europeans and un-skilled Indians are in Kenya illegally and no one talks to them. Many others live in Kenya illegally and I don't know why it should only be somalis who are foreigners or refugees or people without permits.


Kenya assumes that as a Country, It "only" has border with Somalia, All weapons as in Small arms and Light Weapons just come from Somalia, all it's problems come from the Somalia's side and that all "illegal" persons in the country are Somalis.

Kenyans also think that Somalis, even of Kenya are "foreigners" and stay illegally in Kenya not knowing that, The big chunk of land in Northern Kenya is inhabited by Somalis.

It is even said, Notorious Nigerian drug dealer Anthony Chinedu reportedly sneaked back into the country recently and is being sought by police after he was driven away by his accomplices who were waiting for him at the Namanga border crossing.

Highly placed sources at the Anti-Narcotic, Immigration and CID offices said a man they believe to be Chinedu—deported in a special charter plane nearly five weeks ago— sneaked into the country using the passport of another of his compatriots who had been deported with him on suspicion of drug trafficking. The return of Chinedu on Thursday came just hours before President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that no Nigerian criminal would be allowed to run a drugs ring in Kenya. He said the government would not compromise on its commitment to rid the country of Nigerian drug lords and cartels who wanted to make Kenya their headquarters.


The police apprehended the eleven after they failed to produce immigration documents to prove that they were in the country lawfully. The suspects who included six men, three women and two teenagers pleaded not guilty to the charges through their defence counsel John Nyandoro. Nyandoro told the court that his clients had provided all the required travel documents and wondered why they were prosecuted in court.
 

And Those who have always suspected that Malindi has become an extension of the Italian region of Sicily have even greater reason to worry. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) recently said it has evidence that the coastal town is firmly in the grip of the Italian Mafia, which controls and compromises the administration of justice.

Lawyer Nyandoro, While defending the Somalis, He asked the court to give him time to verify if his clients had missing travel documents required, adding that the police had taken too long before taking the suspects to court. The court learnt that the accused were arrested on Monday 30th yet the police alleged that they had arrested them a day prior to their presentation in court.

“Allow me enough time to verify some of the issues concerning my clients, given that they have been in the cell for quite some time and their documents might have been misplaced,” he said.

“I have some of my clients’ documents and I am not sure if the police fully checked to prove that the accused were guilty, I pray that the plea be deferred to 7th October 2013,” he added.

Nyandoro said his clients had rectified their status saying that they were refugees and the court needed to consider the matter before proceeding to trials.


In his response Senior Principal Magistrate Samuel Mokua said that he had no objection to allow the defense time to show documents that proved the accused were genuine refugees. He said that the decision on the matter was based on the information by the defence which stated that required documents will be availed in court. Mokua deferred the matter as prayed by the defence counsel on condition that the accused remain in police custody until then.