NAIROBI— Kahawa Law Courts on Wednesday released Eastleigh Chief Mohamed Issack and his co-accused, Jawahir Mohamed Hussein (commonly known as Mama Jawahir), after the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain charges of illegally registering non-Kenyans and extorting money in exchange for national identity cards.
Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo ordered the immediate release of the two suspects, who had spent several days in custody following their dramatic arrest last week.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had accused Issack, Jawahir and several others of running a syndicate that took bribes to fast-track and fraudulently issue Kenyan IDs to ineligible foreign nationals in Eastleigh. However, when the case was mentioned today, prosecutors requested more time to compile evidence citing ongoing investigations.
The court declined to grant further detention, ruling that the State had not met the threshold required to continue holding the suspects. The DCI has been directed to conclude fresh investigations and present concrete evidence when the matter comes up again.
The case has spotlighted persistent concerns over the integrity of Kenya’s national registration system, particularly in areas with large immigrant populations.
