This archive report was first published on 22 September 2019.
On Saturday, Nairobi police made a significant breakthrough in their fight against fake work permits, arresting a suspect they believe is behind the racket.
The suspect, who infiltrated the immigration department, allegedly issued fake work permits to several firms, a practice that has been a thorn in the side of authorities.
Following the arrest, police recovered several documents bearing the Immigration Department logo and stamps, as well as a mobile phone and a laptop.
The suspect will be arraigned in court on Monday.
Notably, this is not the first time the government has cracked down on fake work permits. In July 2018, the government seized 31 fake work permits and arrested three suspects during a work permit verification exercise.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi had warned that anyone found without valid permits would face removal, including repatriation and deportation.
At the time, the department of immigration services had verified a total of 18,227 work permits and netted 31 fake permits obtained fraudulently.
