Five traffic cops nabbed in EACC sting operation over bribery on Kisumu–Busia highway
EACC said the five were caught actively engaging in constant bribe collection from motorists entering or exiting the border town.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday arrested five traffic police officers from Busia Police Station, on claims to have been extorting money from motorists at a notorious roadblock along the Kisumu–Busia Road, about 5 km from Busia Town.
Corporals Hezron Aburi and Mary Abei and Constables James Weru, Mwakwekwe Nyoka and Aisha Abdullahi were escorted to the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma, where they are currently being processed.
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The commission said the five will later be booked at Bungoma Police Station pending further processing on Friday.
It added that the five were caught actively engaging in constant bribe collection from motorists entering or exiting the border town, with no vehicle checks or other traffic-law enforcement actions by detectives conducting a two-week surveillance along the route.
"The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into multiple complaints of entrenched extortion and bribe demands from motorists and Busia residents," said EACC.
According to the commission, the officers operate in groups of four or five and maintain a personal vehicle on site, a Toyota Fielder, believed to be temporarily used to store the collected bribes.
"The operation is part of the ongoing crackdown on bribery in public service delivery to improve access to quality services for all citizens. The Commission will continue to scale up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting essential public services and sectors prone to bribery," added EACC.
Two months ago, the commission revealed that bribery is the most prevalent form of graft in the country, with the national average bribe standing at Sh4,878.
The National Ethics and Corruption Survey (2024) listed Police officers as the most corrupt and unethical professionals in the country.
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers were ranked second, followed by chiefs, County Inspectorate Officers and lawyers.
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