- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) reportedly received complaints about five traffic officers
- The officers were reportedly involved in soliciting and demanding bribes from motorists along the Kisumu-Busia highway
- This comes as the EACC pledged to intensify their fight against corruption in the country’s public sector
Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has intensified its crackdown on corruption in the country.
Source: Facebook
In a statement dated Thursday, November 6, the commission announced the arrest of five traffic officers attached to the Busia Police Station.
Why were Busia Police Station officers arrested?
According to EACC, the officers were arrested for allegedly demanding bribes from motorists at a roadblock along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
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The roadblock is located approximately five kilometres from Busia town.
“The arrests follow an investigation mounted by the EACC after receiving numerous complaints from motorists and members of the public regarding rampant extortion by the officers manning the roadblock,” the EACC statement read in part.
EACC stated that the officers were reportedly caught red-handed while soliciting and demanding bribes from motorists entering or leaving the border town.
Did Busia police officers neglect duties?
The commission further stated that the officers hardly conducted any vehicle checks or enforced traffic regulations.
“Those apprehended include Corporal Hezron Aburi, Corporal Mary Nabei, Police Constable James Weru, Police Constable Mwakwekwe Nyoka, and Police Constable Aisha Abdullahi,” EACC said.
The five suspects were arrested and taken to the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma so that they could record their statements before being booked at the Bungoma Police Station for further processing.
“The operation is part of the ongoing crackdown on bribery at public service delivery points to improve access to quality services for all citizens. The Commission is scaling up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting essential public services and sectors prone to bribery,” they added.
Traffic officers arrested along Embu highway
On Friday, August 29, the EACC took to their social media platforms to announce the arrest of traffic officers along the Nairobi-Embu Highway.
The commission stated that the officers were soliciting funds from motorists, including matatu operators and truck drivers along the highway.
Source: Facebook
Members of the public and motorists had reportedly raised concerns about the officer’s conduct, leading the commission to begin their investigations.
Following their arrest, the suspects were taken to the Integrity Centre in Nairobi for processing and recording of statements.
The suspects were expected to face corruption-related charges once the EACC completed the investigations into the case.
These revelations came weeks after the commission shed light on the level of corruption in the country.
They issued an update that showed that embezzlement, bribery and fraudulent accusations were most rampant in public institutions.
They conducted 145 random integrity tests in the country’s public service sector, uncovering systematic corruption at various service points.
The officials who were considered corrupt were those who work at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the National Police Service (NPS).
Source: TUKO.co.ke
