Date: Sunday, 02 November 2025
Police in Bungoma County have detained forty-four Eritrean nationals who were discovered living in a local’s house in Miti Mbili Village, Tongaren Constituency.
Residents of the nearby Soysambu area said the group arrived early in the morning aboard a military-type vehicle before being quietly housed in the village. Some locals, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alerted authorities after becoming suspicious of the unusual arrival.
Confirming the incident, Soysambu Deputy County Commissioner Solomon Nginai said the group is being held at Brigadier Police Station as immigration officers verify their travel documents and determine their legal status in Kenya.
Preliminary reports indicate that the Eritrean nationals told authorities they fled their home country to escape conflict and were seeking safety in Kenya. They have appealed to the government to grant them asylum and allow them to stay in refugee camps until peace is restored in Eritrea.
According to sources at the Department of Immigration, the Eritreans are being screened to determine whether they entered Kenya legally or through irregular border crossings. Officials are also investigating how the group was transported into Bungoma, particularly the use of what witnesses described as a military-type vehicle.
Kenya has in recent years become a transit route for migrants and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa, many of whom are fleeing conflict or political repression in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Some attempt to cross into Uganda or South Sudan en route to North Africa and Europe.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has previously urged East African nations to uphold the rights of asylum seekers from Eritrea, where citizens face compulsory military service and restrictions on movement.
As investigations continue, the Immigration Department is expected to issue a statement clarifying the fate of the 44 Eritrean nationals once their status is verified.
