The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has uncovered a syndicate of individuals fraudulently posing as EACC officers.
Following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, arrests were made in South Nyanza region, culminating in search operations by the EACC.
In a statement released on Wednesday, August 27, the commission revealed that the coordinated effort had targeted seven individuals believed to be involved in an elaborate scheme to extort money from members of the public by falsely presenting themselves as anti-corruption officials.
During the raids, the EACC recovered a variety of forged materials, including fake EACC job cards, official letterheads, rubber stamps and other documents typically used by commission officials during legitimate operations.
Interestingly, one of the individuals arrested, believed to be the mastermind of the group, had a prior conviction for impersonation.
The suspects have since been escorted to EACC’s South Nyanza Regional Office for further interrogation. They are expected to record statements as part of the ongoing probe.
Meanwhile, forensic analysis is being carried out on the seized items to determine the full extent of the unlawful operation, with the EACC seeking to establish how long the group has been operating and whether there are additional accomplices who are still at large.
EACC also warned the public against impersonation of public officers, stating that it was not only unlawful, but also posed a threat to the integrity of anti-corruption efforts.
Impersonation of Govt Officials
This is the latest case of impersonators of government officials in what is becoming a worrying trend, particularly within agencies like the EACC. In January, a student from Kibabii University was arrested for posing to be a director with the ‘ability to terminate ongoing corruption in exchange for money.’
In 2024, a police officer was also nabbed alongside three others in Kitui County after they conducted a fake search at a residential property under the guise of EACC officials.
Imposters nabbed by authorities can face various criminal charges under different provisions of the Kenyan law. Impersonation of a public officer, for example, is contrary to Section 105(b) of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
Forgery, as defined under Sections 345 and 349 of the penal code, may also result in a prison sentence of up to three years.
In addition, suspects can also be charged with uttering a false document under Section 353 of an offense, which involves presenting forged documents as genuine. This offense is considered more dire, and can carry up to seven years behind bars.
