Sh3 billion collected in traffic bribes every month - EACC
EACC boss described what is commonly referred to as petty corruption as a major threat to the country’s well-being, warning that the widespread practice is normalising corruption and worsening service delivery.
Traffic police officers across the country collect at least Sh3 billion in bribes every month, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The Commission’s CEO, Abdi Ahmed Mohamud, said the rampant bribery is deeply embedded in law enforcement and has far-reaching consequences for public trust and road safety.
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Abdi described what is commonly referred to as petty corruption as a major threat to the country’s well-being, warning that the widespread practice is normalising corruption and worsening service delivery.
“Looking at the amount of money we recover on average from arrested traffic police officers after just two hours of surveillance, we estimate that in a 10-hour shift, an officer can collect as much as Sh100,000 from motorists. That translates to about Sh3 million per month per traffic police officer if deployed daily. If we assume there are 1,000 traffic police officers across the country, that adds up to at least Sh3 billion per month. But we know there are more than 1,000 traffic police officers on duty nationwide. That is an enormous sum collected through so-called small bribes from Kenyans, but with a huge impact,” Abdi said.
EACC officials pointed out that when an arrested traffic police officer is found with approximately Sh20,000 after just two hours of surveillance, the figure suggests that an officer could accumulate up to Sh100,000 daily.
The anti-corruption chief further revealed that investigations by the Commission have established that bribes taken by officials at service delivery points—such as police stations, immigration offices, and county government offices, have a significant impact on society.
“Kenyans are feeling the effects of corruption at service delivery points because it is money taken directly from their pockets, albeit in small amounts. This is especially true when they encounter it while seeking services at police stations, Huduma centres, or when applying for business licences, passports, and national identity cards, among others. Ignoring these small cases would only help to normalise corruption, which we cannot afford as a country,” he added.
Accidents
He cautioned that a Sh100 bribe given to a traffic police officer by a matatu crew to overlook worn-out tyres or other defects on a vehicle could result in an accident, causing deaths or injuries far more devastating than the bribe itself.
Abdi further noted that cumulatively, thousands of traffic police officers across the country collect hundreds of millions of shillings daily, amounting to billions monthly, directly from Kenyans’ pockets.
The revelations come just days after EACC detectives arrested two traffic police officers in Kabete and recovered Sh40,000 from them during a sting operation following complaints from the public. The two suspects, attached to King’eero Police Station, allegedly mounted a roadblock at Njonjo Farm in Kibichiku, Kabete, and routinely extorted money from motorists.
In a separate incident, following numerous complaints from motorists and boda boda riders about traffic police officers extorting money under the guise of enforcing traffic rules at the Globe Cinema Roundabout, EACC detectives arrested three police officers from Central Police Station. The officers were found in possession of Sh48,250, allegedly collected in just two hours.
The five arrested officers are set to be arraigned in court for soliciting bribes.
Abdi dismissed claims that the EACC is prioritising small bribery cases over major corruption scandals, stating that both have disastrous effects on service delivery.
Consequently, he noted that the EACC and the National Police Service (NPS) have initiated an audit of the police force’s operational systems to curb corruption.
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