NAIROBI, Kenya — Police in Ruai have rescued 17 Ethiopian nationals, most of them believed to be minors, during a raid on a residential house in the Nairobi township as investigations into a suspected human trafficking network intensify.
Authorities said about 20 other occupants fled the scene during the Sunday operation, which followed a tip-off from members of the public.
According to police, officers stormed the house located near New Ruai Family Hospital and found the group inside under unclear circumstances.
“The officers found 17 Ethiopian nationals with an average age of about 15 years inside the house and rescued them,” police said.
The rescued minors were later escorted to Ruai Police Station as investigations continue.
Possible human trafficking ring
Police said the operation forms part of ongoing investigations into possible human trafficking and migrant smuggling activities in the area.
Detectives are pursuing suspects who escaped during the raid while working to determine whether the victims were being held as part of a broader trafficking network.
The rescue comes just days after another large operation in the same area.
70 migrants rescued in earlier raid
Last week, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), specifically the Transnational Organised Crime Unit, rescued 70 foreign nationals during a similar raid in Ruai.
Police said the victims were discovered in a house in Ruai Block 10, where dozens of migrants had reportedly been locked inside.
Of those rescued, 66 were Ethiopian nationals, while four were from Eritrea.
One Kenyan suspect was arrested during the operation, although the alleged ringleader managed to escape.
Migrant route through Kenya
Police said many migrants intercepted in Kenya are often in transit to South Africa or the Middle East in search of employment opportunities.
Authorities noted that many of the migrants enter Kenya through the Moyale route before being moved across the country by smuggling networks.
Officials say the migrants are frequently unaware of the risks involved and often fall victim to trafficking rings.
Ongoing crackdown
Investigators from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit said they are conducting joint operations with police and immigration officers to dismantle the smuggling networks.
Many of the rescued migrants are likely to undergo processing by immigration authorities before possible repatriation to their home countries.
Police say the rising number of Ethiopian nationals intercepted in Kenya highlights the growing scale of human smuggling operations across the region.
