Kenya has refuted the circulating report claiming the police in the country have arrested 60 aliens, with most of them being nationals of six fellow East African Community Member States, who were allegedly involved in street protests.
The new development comes after the Nairobi streets were being deserted after the youth population announced the Saba-Saba reminiscence mass protest marching.
According to the report, there has been crackdown of foreigners who joined the recent Gen Z uprising, ended up with the arrest of 26 Burundians, 19 South Sudanese, 18 Rwandese, 17 Somalis and 7 Ugandans, who are now charged with violence and vandalism of public property.
According to the statement which bore the seal from the Kenya’s Office of Inspector General, the East African country was concerned with increasing involvement of foreigners and undisclosed immigrants in the recent waves of street protests.
Apparently, the statement which now Kenya denies, claimed that even Nigerians and Yemenis have also been taking onto the streets chanting and marching in protest alongside the majority irate Kenyan youth.
There were 9 Nigerians, and 3 Yemenis caught in the latest police swoop.
As expected, the timid Tanzanians were not in the details!
But strangely, the statement also said police in Kenya have detained eleven (11) other persons that do not belong to any country and declared ‘Stateless!’ As far as the Director of Corporate Communications at the National Police Service, Muchiri Nyaga is concerned.
However Kenyan High commission offices in a number of East African countries have released statements denying the arrest of the said foreigners.
The circulated statement, say the arrests were made on accusations of involvement in ‘rioting, destruction of public property, and burning of security facilities, including police stations.’
The arrests are said to have followed violent protests in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities, where authorities accused foreigners of “exploiting chaos” to destabilize security.
However, Kenya is denying everything and pleading that the dispatch being circulated on social media platforms should be destroyed.
Human rights organizations have however warned of escalating violence against migrants, particularly undocumented individuals, amid fears of rising anti-foreigner rhetoric.
They reminded that Kenya remains a major destination for refugees and migrants from neighboring countries, including South Sudan, due to conflicts and economic crises.
It was explained that the arrests coincide with growing domestic tensions in Kenya, where the government has accused “external parties” of attempting to exploit public protests against its policies.