Nine traffic police officers from the National Police Service (NPS) have been arrested over the festive season in connection with corruption.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) confirmed on Thursday, January 2, that it has arrested a total the nine officers over alleged extortion of motorists during the Christmas period.
According to EACC, the nine police officers were arrested in Nakuru, Kajiado, and Kisii counties following traps set by the agency.
EACC has been on the radar of traffic police officers following public outcries of extortion. Notable among them was when it arrested four police officers attached to the National Police Service on August 29, who were found collecting bribes along the busy Kericho-Sotik Road after the commission laid a trap.
NTSA road safety compliance checks within Machakos town on March 31, 2024.
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NTSA
The main suspects were apprehended after they were lured into a trap while actively collecting bribes from motorists.
In October last year, EACC officers arrested a police officer from Kahawa West Police Station. The agency revealed that the police officer was arrested after it was established that she demanded a Ksh50,000 bribe to facilitate the withdrawal of the complainant’s criminal case from court.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a police officer from Kahawa West Police Station who demanded to be gifted Ksh50,000,” EACC stated.
On February 23, 2023, four traffic officers were arrested extorting motorists on Outering Road. At the time of the arrest, the four traffic officers were found with a combined total of Ksh15,820 that they were believed to have collected from motorists in less than two hours, EACC stated in its statement.
The recent arrests point to the ongoing concerns over the integrity of Kenya’s traffic police officers, who have frequently been accused of turning roadblocks into cash collection points. Motorists have raised complaints about being coerced into paying bribes under the threat of inflated fines.
A survey done by EACC in March last year revealed that the traffic police and the regular police are the three most bribery-prone public institutions.
The 2023 National Ethics and Corruption Survey shows that there is a likelihood that each time a service is sought in the traffic police department, one is likely to be asked for a bribe 1.45 times.
The nine officers are expected to face corruption-related charges in court, with investigations ongoing to determine the full extent of their activities.
A police roadblock at Chania, border of Murang’a and Kiambu Counties in 2019.
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NPS