An Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi on Thursday, March 13, sentenced an Inspector of Police to two years in prison or a fine of Ksh550,000.
This followed her conviction for soliciting and receiving a bribe of Ksh10,000 to unlawfully facilitate the release of two suspects from police custody.
In her ruling, Principal Magistrate Isabellah Barasa found the officer guilty on two counts of receiving a bribe, contrary to Sections 6 and 18 of the Bribery Act.
The prosecution informed the court that on April 25, 2021, at Kasarani Police Station in Nairobi, the Inspector, while attending her shift, requested a bribe of Ksh10,000.
According to the prosecution, the suspect received the money in exchange for securing the unlawful release of two people—a male and a female—who had been detained at the police station.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution presented nine witnesses to prove the case, which led to the police officer's sentencing.
The officer’s case stems from an incident that occurred on April 25, 2021, when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested the inspector for soliciting a bribe.
She was arrested after the complainant reported the matter to EACC officers, who commenced investigations that led to her arrest.
While informing the public about her arrest, EACC detectives revealed that the police officer's detention followed the approval of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who concurred with the allegations levelled against her.
After being arraigned, the suspect was released on cash bail after being processed at the Integrity Centre Police Station in Nairobi in July 2023.
Meanwhile, on February 10, the EACC published an audit and research report highlighting the level of corruption and bribery within the National Police Service (NPS).
The report revealed that the average bribe amount paid to regular and traffic police officers increased by 39.1 per cent and 84.2 per cent between 2022 and 2023, respectively.
According to the Commission, this saw members of the public pay an average of Ksh11,115 to get a service from the regular police while paying an average of Ksh7,000 to get the same from their traffic counterparts.
The audit further revealed that a Kenyan seeking police abstract paid an average of Ksh20,000 in 2023 up from an average of Ksh2,000 paid in 2022.
