Four Ethiopian nationals have been fined Sh100, 000 each by a Chuka court or in default serve one year sentence in prison for being in Kenya illegally.
The four men Devano Fikre, Dababa Wajako, Maelefro Tagesse, and Emmanuel Abola, had earlier been arraigned before the same court last week and charged with being unlawfully present in Kenya but their case was adjourned due to lack of an interpreter.
The court heard that the four were arrested on 6 January 2020 at a traffic police road block at Mitheru along the Meru-Nairobi road in Tharaka Nithi County and detained at the nearby Marima Police Station. The vehicle they were being transported in, a Probox was also detained.
When they were brought before Chuka Resident Magistrate John Njoroge on 7 January 2020 the four could neither communicate in English nor Kiswahili and there being no translator in the court, the magistrate directed that the case be adjourned until an Amharic language interpreter was availed in court.
And, today when they were arraigned in the same court, the four men pleaded guilty but in mitigation claimed to have fled from Ethiopia to Kenya in search of employment.
While delivering the judgement the magistrate noted that this was their first case in Kenya but made it clear that they should have obtained the right migration certificates so that they could be legally allowed in Kenya.
The magistrate further noted that due to the insecurity facing the country presently and in the interest and security of the country they will have to pay the fine or spend time in prison.
By Kenneth Marangu and Monica Nyaga
