The government has repatriated 60 Ethiopian nationals following a court ruling.
The repatriation took place on Friday after a Machakos court ordered their release earlier in the week.
This group included 56 individuals who were apprehended in a Githunguri house during a police operation on October 25, along with four others captured in Athi River, Machakos County.
They had been held at the Mavoko SNP police station since their arrests.
According to police reports, the Ethiopians were transferred from Mavoko SNP to the Moyale border early Friday morning, where they were handed over to Ethiopian authorities.
“At 7:45 AM, the repatriation of the 60 aliens was reported, and a convoy led by senior police officers departed for the border,” the report detailed.
The group had been charged with illegal entry into the country but was released by Resident Magistrate Silas Kandie, who noted their prolonged detention was unlawful and inhumane.
The court order stated, “The suspects are discharged as listed in the charge sheet under Section 35(1) of the penal code.
The government is to facilitate their return home.”
Their discharge follows a similar order by the Kahawa Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court for 19 other Ethiopians, who had been detained at Joska police station.
These individuals had reportedly protested their situation by refusing meals and staging a hunger strike, demanding immediate repatriation.
Video footage from the station showed the detained individuals visibly upset, highlighting the emotional toll of their extended confinement.
Sources indicated that this was not an isolated incident, as the aliens had previously refused to eat in protest.
The court’s recent decisions reflect a growing awareness of the legal rights of detained migrants and underscore the importance of humane treatment during repatriation processes.
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