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Four police officers and 37 Ethiopians were yesterday arrested after they were found in a house in Mwihoko, Kiambu County.

Three of the officers are from Pangani Police Station and could not give a satisfactory explanation why they were at the scene where the aliens had been detained.

The operation was conducted by a multi-agency team from the Transnational Organized Crimes Unit (TOCU) of the DCI who found the Ethiopians sleeping on the floor of the house within the Kizito-Mwihoko area.

“An extended search was conducted in the adjacent plot after two men were seen jumping and it was established the two were police officers,” DCI headquarters said, adding that the officers were both injured on the ankle.

It was then established that the two were Constable Kenyatta Ukur from Githurai Police Station and Constable Griffin Ongeri of Starehe (Pangani) patrol. Both were armed with Beretta and Ceska pistols, respectively.

While the detectives were still at the scene, two other officers from Starehe – Corporal Eric Tonui and Corporal Timothy Kiptoo – also arrived at the scene while accompanied in a vehicle registration number KCQ 085R.

“Both officers were armed with Ceska pistols and had arrested two other aliens who had been handcuffed,” detectives said.

By yesterday afternoon, the owner of the house was yet to be traced. Another vehicle belonging to one of the officers was also found at the scene and together with the other vehicle towed to Mwihoko Police Station as investigations continue.

The four officers were escorted to the DCI headquarters for further interrogation.

The incident came just a day after police also rescued 16 children -11 boys and five girls – from a house in Soweto, Kayole in Nairobi.

According to the police, the girls were aged 2, 6, 7, 10 and 12.

Daniel Odongo, a Children Protection officer in Embakasi East Constituency, alerted the police of the presence of the children in a residential plot within Nyando area.

The officers went to the two-bedroomed rental house and arrested a Kenyan woman identified as Linet Akinyi and a Tanzanian national named Isaack Mwanjeka.

Upon interrogation, the two could not explain why the children, aged between 16 and 2, were in their custody. Police however suspect the children were to be trafficked to a yet-to-be established location. Nairobi region police commander Adamson Bungei yesterday said investigations had been launched to establish whether it was a case of child trafficking or a licensing matter.

Members of the public have been advised to visit the police station to help in the identification of the victims.

The Missing Child Foundation on Monday said the children had been taken to safe custody.

 “The Directorate of Children’s Services is currently undertaking a wellness assessment for the children, and police are following due procedure on the matter,” they said.

In another case in TransNzoia West, an Inspector of police and another man were arrested after they went to a chang’aa den to demand a bribe in Teldet village.

Inspector Marklevis Ekutan and Edwin Mukumbi had demanded Sh6,500 which they were given and were later asked to identify themselves.

Officers from Teldet police post were informed and rushed to the scene where they established that the officer was armed with a Ceska pistol and also had two pairs of handcuffs.