Two officials of Mumias Level 4 Hospital in Kakamega County have been apprehended over allegations they solicited and accepted a bribe of Ksh200,000 relating to a medical supplies contract worth Ksh1.4 million.
The accused, a biomedical engineer and a supply chain officer, are said to have demanded the bribe to facilitate payment for medical equipment that was lawfully delivered to the hospital.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched investigations after receiving a report, on May 16, from a complainant whose company supplied the hospital with an X-ray scanner valued at Ksh1.4 million.
The hospital had agreed to make payment in three instalments and had already made the first payment of Ksh500,000 on April 17, 2025.
However, on May 8, the complainant was contacted by a senior medical officer at the hospital, who allegedly demanded a bribe of Ksh400,000 to facilitate the release of the second instalment of Ksh650,000.
The following day, the complainant met with another administrator at the facility, who insisted on the demand.
Even though the hospital made the payments, the individual who was owed the funds could not access them after the hospital staff allegedly blocked access, demanding a bribe.
"Though the hospital deposited the second instalment into the supplier’s bank account, access to the funds was restricted, and the complainant continued to receive coercive calls from the three individuals, all demanding a bribe before the payment could be accessed."
Following the report, EACC investigators mounted an operation on May 21 that resulted in the apprehension of the two at a local bank branch shortly after they received a bribe of Ksh200,000 from the complainant.
The two accused were escorted to EACC’s Western Regional Office in Bungoma for processing and were later booked at Bungoma Police Station, where they are being held as the detectives continue with their investigations.
On April 15, the commission apprehended two officials from the Kakamega Civil Registration Department for allegedly soliciting and receiving bribes from applicants seeking civil registration documents.
The duo, a Civil Registrar stationed at the Kakamega Huduma Centre and a Civil Registration Officer, were alleged to have solicited bribes to speed up service delivery.
At the time of their apprehension, the officials had just received Ksh2,500 to facilitate the processing of a birth certificate.
