Police in Ruai, Nairobi, rescued 17 Ethiopian nationals, most of them believed to be minors, during a raid on a residential house in the township.
About 20 others managed to escape the scene during the Sunday raid. This was the second group to be rescued in less than a week from the same area, amid claims that more may still be at large.
Police said they acted on a tip-off from members of the public and raided the house located near New Ruai Family Hospital.
During the operation, officers found 17 Ethiopian nationals with an average age of about 15 years inside the house and rescued them. However, about 20 other occupants managed to escape during the raid.
The rescued minors were escorted to Ruai Police Station as investigations continue. Police are pursuing the suspects who fled the scene as authorities probe a possible human trafficking and smuggling operation.
Last week, police rescued at least 70 foreign nationals during a similar operation targeting suspected human trafficking in Ruai, Nairobi.
The main suspect in the smuggling ring managed to escape, police said. The raid was conducted by detectives from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) based at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters, acting on a tip-off.
The officers stormed a residential house in the Ruai Block 10 area, where they discovered dozens of foreign nationals locked inside under unclear circumstances.
They were later joined by officers from Ruai Police Station during the operation.
Police said 70 individuals were rescued from the house. Of these, 66 were Ethiopian nationals while four were Eritrean nationals.
One suspect, a Kenyan, was arrested at the scene in connection with the incident. The rescued individuals were taken into custody pending processing and further investigations.
They are likely to be repatriated to their countries.
Police said they are working to establish the circumstances under which the victims were being held and whether the case is linked to a wider human trafficking network.
The incident comes amid ongoing police operations targeting suspected smuggling networks.
Authorities said many migrants flee problems in their home countries and attempt to travel to South Africa in search of better opportunities.
Police said many of the migrants use the Moyale route as they head to South Africa and the Middle East, often unaware of the dangers ahead.
Tens of migrants are frequently arrested in different parts of the country while waiting to be moved to their next destinations.
Police and immigration officials have decried the increasing number of Ethiopian nationals intercepted in Kenya while in transit.
Officials from the Transnational Organised Crime Unit are conducting joint operations to tackle human smuggling networks. Many of those intercepted enter Kenya in search of jobs or while transiting to other destinations.
