BBC Somali Service Editor Arrested in Nairobi for Document Fraud

Muhaydin Ahmed Roble, the editor of the BBC Somali Service, was arrested in Nairobi on Tuesday evening by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation.

The arrest came after Roble repeatedly refused to comply with procedural summons regarding an ongoing investigation into the fraudulent acquisition of Kenyan documents.

Roble, a Somali national, is accused of obtaining a Kenyan national ID card using illicit means.

He spent Tuesday night at the Parklands police station following his arrest, after evading multiple previous attempts.

Scheduled to appear before the Makadara court on Friday morning, Roble faces charges including forgery. His ID card and passport have been confiscated, and he is now on a ‘red alert’ status.

This recent arrest is not the first legal issue Roble has faced; he was previously taken into custody at the BBC offices in Westlands and later at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in 2022.

Investigations into Roble’s Kenyan citizenship status have been ongoing since he assumed the role of head of services in 2020.

The BBC Somali Service, headquartered in West London, operates primarily from Nairobi, serving as a central hub for radio and digital operations with a significant audience in the Horn of Africa and neighboring regions.