Police believe Hajir Mohamed Garat is aiding the falsification of nationality for those seeking national identity cards, birth, and death certificates.
This follows a raid by detectives on Saturday at his cybercafé in Masalani township, where they recovered several blank and partially filled birth notification forms, death notification forms, birth certificates, death certificates, and rubber stamps.
Mohamed’s arrest has raised fears that foreigners could be using the fake documents to acquire national identity cards, especially at a time when the government has relaxed requirements for obtaining the vital document.
The man’s arrest now comes about two weeks after two Somali nationals were arrested in Garissa for fraudulently obtaining a birth certificate.
The suspects, 14-year-old Ayan Nur Hassan and 20-year-old Mohamed Moulid Mohamed, were seized at a police barrier at Tana Bridge on November 6, 2025.
Nur was found in possession of a birth certificate bearing her full name, while Moulid was accused of facilitating the entry into Kenya of the teenage girl. The suspects were on a bus heading to Nairobi from Garissa.
Both were taken to Garissa Police Station before being handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.
On the same day, 19-year-old Nima Hussein Elmi, a Somali national, was arrested at Mandera airstrip as she prepared to board a plane to Nairobi.
She was found in possession of a Kenyan identity card and, upon questioning, disclosed that she was born in Luuq, Somalia. The multi-agency team also recovered her Somali passport bearing the name Nima Hussein Elmi.
In February, President William Ruto signed a proclamation abolishing vetting for individuals seeking ID cards in Northern Kenya and other border counties.
Signing the Presidential Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to Border Counties, President Ruto termed the practice unjust and disenfranchising.
“If it’s about vetting, let all children of Kenya be vetted equally without any discrimination,” he said.
He made the remarks after publicly signing and reading out the decree at Orahey Grounds in Wajir Town.
