Traffic police officers soliciting bribes fire shots at EACC officers before being arrested

Traffic police officers soliciting bribes fire shots at EACC officers before being arrested

In a dramatic incident on Thursday, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives apprehended three traffic police officers along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu Road for soliciting bribes.

In a dramatic incident on Thursday, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives apprehended three traffic police officers along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu Road for soliciting bribes. The officers, namely Corporal James Njeru and Police Constables Dickson Njagi and James Mwai, allegedly demanded Sh15,000 from motorists within an hour. The arrest turned chaotic as the rogue cops fired shots in the air.

Body camera footage from the EACC officers captured the intense arrest. EACC detectives, having conducted reconnaissance, approached the traffic officers. In the video, one of the detectives uses the vehicle's door to knock down an officer before identifying himself as an EACC detective and seemingly handcuffing the rogue cop. Simultaneously, other detectives chase down the two officers attempting to escape.

Amid the chaos, one of the traffic officers fired shots in the air before eventually being subdued along with his partner. An EACC source revealed that the operation was initiated due to numerous complaints from motorists using the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu route.

"In the operation, a scuffle ensued when two other police officers resisted arrest and escaped into the nearby bushes, aided by one who was firing at EACC detectives pursuing them," stated the EACC source. "During the scuffle and shooting, the two fugitive police officers took away some of the money recovered by EACC detectives, amounting to about Sh15,000 collected in one hour."

Following the arrest, the three officers were taken to Integrity Police Station at EACC headquarters to provide statements. They are currently held at Kilimani Police Station awaiting arraignment. EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak urged Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to disarm all traffic police officers nationwide, citing instances where rogue officers use state-issued firearms to confront EACC detectives during bribery arrests on roads.

Reader Comments

Stay ahead of the news! Click ‘Yes, Thanks’ to receive breaking stories and exclusive updates directly to your device. Be the first to know what’s happening.