A Somali national, Mohamud Mohammed Roble, has been fined Ksh370,000 by the JKIA Law Courts after pleading guilty to three offences, including unlawfully being in Kenya and fraudulently acquiring Kenyan identity and passport documents.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Roble was convicted after investigations established that he had obtained Kenyan registration documents and subsequently secured a Kenyan passport through false declarations.
According to the DCI, Roble was arrested after detectives from the Immigration and Citizen Services Investigations unit took over the case from immigration officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
The investigation focused on how the Somali national allegedly used false declarations to obtain Kenyan identity documents and a passport.
The DCI said the evidence gathered by detectives led to Roble being arraigned before the JKIA Law Courts, where he pleaded guilty to all three charges.
Somali national fined for three offences
The court imposed fines totalling Ksh370,000 for the three offences, with separate penalties for unlawful presence in Kenya, making a false declaration to obtain a Kenyan passport and presenting an identity card containing false entries.
Roble was fined Ksh150,000 for unlawfully being present in Kenya. He was also ordered to pay Ksh150,000 for making a false declaration to obtain a Kenyan passport.
The third count attracted a fine of Ksh70,000 for knowingly presenting an identity card containing false entries with the intention to deceive.
According to the DCI statement, the sentences provide for imprisonment in default of payment of the respective fines.
The conviction followed investigations by detectives who took over the matter from immigration officials at JKIA, one of Kenyaβs main international entry and exit points.
The case highlights the legal consequences of making false declarations to obtain Kenyan identity and travel documents.
Court orders repatriation to Somalia
In addition to the financial penalties, the court ordered that Roble be repatriated to Somalia after paying the fines.
The court also directed that his fraudulently obtained Kenyan passport be surrendered to the Director General of Immigration Services for destruction.
The orders address both his immigration status and the travel document obtained through false declarations, according to the DCI statement.
The repatriation order is conditional on payment of the fines, while the passport is to be surrendered to the immigration authorities for destruction.
The DCI did not provide further details in the statement about when Roble would be repatriated or the specific circumstances under which the fraudulent registration documents were initially obtained.
DCI highlights investigation into passport fraud
The case involved cooperation between immigration officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and detectives from the Immigration and Citizen Services Investigations unit.
The detectives took over the case from immigration officials before conducting investigations that led to Robleβs arrest and subsequent prosecution.
His guilty plea to all three counts allowed the court to proceed to sentencing, imposing a combined fine of Ksh370,000 and ordering his eventual repatriation to Somalia.
The destruction of the passport is also intended to ensure that the fraudulently acquired travel document is surrendered to the relevant immigration authority rather than retained by the convicted individual.
The DCI statement did not indicate whether other suspects were being investigated in connection with the case.
The conviction underscores the legal risks associated with unlawfully remaining in Kenya and obtaining official identity documents through false declarations.
