Kenya: EACC Arrests Four Traffic Officers for Soliciting Bribes from Motorists

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested four traffic police officers for extorting money from motorists under the guise of enforcing traffic laws. The officers, identified as Cpl. Rachael Aiyabei, PC John Oluoch, Cpl. Cynthia Kemoi, and PC Philip Sitienei, were apprehended on Tuesday, August 27, after being monitored for several days.

Cpl. Aiyabei and PC Oluoch were arrested along the Sotik-Kericho Road, while Cpl. Kemoi and PC Sitienei were caught near Kaisugu Tea Factory on the Kericho-Nakuru Road. The EACC observed that the officers were collecting bribes without carrying out their law enforcement duties. Following their arrest, they were taken to the EACC South Rift Regional Offices in Nakuru for processing and have since been released on bail as investigations continue.

The EACC has issued a stern warning to motorists and the public against engaging in bribery, emphasizing that such practices undermine traffic safety and contribute to the rising number of road accidents in the country. The commission stressed that bribery, often dismissed as petty corruption, has severe consequences, including compromising road safety and endangering lives.