EACC Arrests 5 Police Officers as Crackdown on Graft Intensifies
Machakos Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) agents have detained four police officers suspected of extorting money from motorists along the Thika-Garissa highway.
A deputy base commander, a sergeant, and two police constables were detained on suspicion of soliciting bribes from motorists in violation of the law.
The constant extortion of motorists by the police at the roadblocks prompted the EACC to investigate the matter as part of their ongoing effort to combat corruption in the transportation sector.
“As part of ongoing initiatives to tame traffic corruption, EACC arrested 4 police officers extorting money from motorists on Thika-Garissa,” the anti-corruption agency noted.
According to EACC, detectives observed the suspects for several days prior to taking action.
The squad from the anti-corruption agency allegedly recovered approximately 12,000 Kenyan shillings within an hour of the arrest.
In a video published by EACC on their X social media account, four highway patrol officers are seen demanding cash from passing motorists.
After their arrest, the four officers were detained at the Kilimani Police Station in Nairobi before being brought before a court to address the charges against them.
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Among the charges they faced was openly disobeying Interior CS Kithure Kindiki, who ordered police officers to dismantle all roadblocks by November 1 of this year.
EACC also arrested a Kisumu Central Police Inspector who demanded a bribe of Ksh500,000 to drop proceedings against a Vihiga county transporter.
The officer had also sought inducements to release the merchant’s seized merchandise.
According to the EACC report, the police inspector attempted to resist arrest, causing a scene disturbance. However, he was suppressed, handcuffed, and taken to record a statement.
The detention occurred less than a week after EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Maraka expressed concern over the increase in police corruption.
Mbarak urged Police Commanders across the nation to take immediate and decisive action to end law enforcement officials’ extortion of motorists.
“Motorists are expected to comply with all traffic laws and regulations and report any cases of bribe demands to EACC through Tol Free Line 1551. The operation continues,” EACC noted.
EACC Arrests 5 Police Officers as Crackdown on Graft Intensifies
