Two Eastleigh chiefs among 26 arrested in fraudulent ID, passport issuance racket

Two chiefs are among 26 suspects arrested in a crackdown against a major criminal network accused of illegally acquiring and issuing vital government documents, including National ID cards, passports, birth certificates and alien IDs.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers arrested civil servants, chiefs, businessmen and freelance brokers believed to be part of the multimillion-shilling underground operation that fast-tracked documentation for paying clients.

The syndicate, they say, involved officers from the National Registration Bureau, the Directorate of Immigration and several sub-county administration offices.

"This criminal enterprise severely compromises the integrity of government systems and exposes the country to grave security risks, including the undocumented entry and exit of individuals," DCI wrote in a social media post. 

DCI NAB 26 SUSPECTS IN ILLEGAL ISSUANCE OF VITAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

In a meticulously coordinated operation, detectives have arrested 26 individuals implicated in the unlawful and unprocedural acquisition of vital government documents, including National Identity Cards,… pic.twitter.com/TEERAhihyc

— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) December 7, 2025

During the crackdown, officers recovered large volumes of government materials hidden in private homes, including filled and blank ID application forms, passports, birth and death certificates, fingerprint-capture equipment, official stamps and other tools that should only be stored within authorised facilities.

The suspects are accused of bypassing laid-down procedures and abusing privileged access to sensitive systems, exposing Kenya’s population database to manipulation. 

Detectives now warn that the scheme may have enabled dangerous individuals to obtain Kenyan documents or cross borders undetected, heightening risks linked to trafficking, radicalisation and international fraud.

Those arrested include assistant chiefs Jawahir Mohamed Muse and Mohamed Issack Gedow; registrars Judy Kemunto Ondari and Ruth Osebe Sukuru; clerks Moses Mugoya Margaret and Geoffrey Mokoro Mutanya; fingerprints technician Festus Bahati Chai; and a group of businessmen, technicians and freelance middlemen identified as key facilitators.

All suspects remain in custody, undergoing multi-agency processing ahead of arraignment.