Five police officers were arrested on Thursday by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for allegedly extorting money from motorists along the Busia–Kisumu Road, near Busia Town.
According to the EACC, the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation prompted by reports of rampant bribery and harassment of motorists in the area. The Commission confirmed that the sting was part of a wider investigation into a network of corrupt officers accused of systematically demanding bribes from drivers and residents.
Sources revealed that a two-week surveillance operation conducted by EACC detectives exposed the officers engaging in routine bribe collection without conducting any legitimate traffic checks or law enforcement activities. The officers reportedly worked in groups of four or five and used a Toyota Fielder as a makeshift storage vehicle for the illicit proceeds.
The suspects were apprehended and taken to the EACC Western Regional Offices in Bungoma for interrogation before being booked at Bungoma Police Station. They are expected to face charges after processing is completed.
The Thursday arrests mirror a similar anti-corruption operation conducted by EACC in August 2025, where four traffic police officers were apprehended for soliciting and receiving bribes from motorists, matatu operators, and truck drivers along the Nairobi–Nyeri–Embu Highway.
Three of those officers were stationed at Makutano Traffic Base, while the fourth was attached to Juja Traffic Base in Embu County. These incidents underscore persistent complaints from motorists who claim that rogue officers have erected unlawful “toll points” to extort money, often demanding between Ksh50 and Ksh200, and in some cases, higher amounts for minor traffic violations.
A recent EACC National Ethics and Corruption Survey painted a grim picture of graft within the security sector. The survey ranked the Kenya Police Service as the most corrupt institution in the country, with 47 per cent of respondents citing it as the leading bribe receiver, followed by county officials.
“An analysis of bribe receivers by profession revealed that police officers (29.93 per cent), National Registration Bureau (19.7 per cent), medical officers (9.53 per cent), land registry officials (7.39 per cent), and immigration officers (5.8 per cent) were the most bribe receivers,” the report noted.
The EACC has pledged to intensify its anti-graft operations across the country, particularly within the police service, in a bid to restore public confidence and curb the entrenched culture of corruption on Kenyan roads.
