Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday, August 28, arrested four traffic police officers over bribery allegations.
According to the Commission, the officers were arrested for reportedly soliciting and receiving bribes from motorists, matatu operators, and truck drivers along the Nairobi–Nyeri–Embu Highway.
The arrests followed an undercover operation conducted by the EACC officials along the busy highway after receiving a tip-off from members of the public.
According to the anti-graft detectives, the motorists had reached out to them, lamenting about rampant extortion from the traffic police officers, a situation that forced the commission to take immediate action.
Three of the officers arrested during the operation were from Makutano Traffic Base, while the fourth officer was attached to Juja Traffic Base, both in Embu County.
Following their apprehension, the suspects were escorted to the EACC Integrity Centre in Nairobi for processing and to record their statements.
"Investigations are ongoing, and the officers are expected to face corruption-related charges once the process is complete," the anti-corruption detectives revealed.
The latest arrests come amid the government's efforts to curb the prevalent corruption within the police service and wider society.
A recent survey released by the EACC listed police officers as the most corrupt and unethical professionals in the country, with the police service leading at 47 per cent, followed by county officials.
The survey further established that Kenyans were still grappling with high levels of bribery and unethical behaviour in public institutions. It noted that many Kenyans expressed frustrations of being trapped in a cycle of unending extortion.
"Some victims of corruption do not report due to fear of intimidation or because they lack faith in the institutions responsible for dealing with corruption," said EACC Chairperson David Oginde.
The report showed that most bribes are paid to speed up access to services, access to jobs, and to secure favourable outcomes in administrative and legal processes.
