EACC puts corrupt and rogue police officers on notice

Kwale,

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

KNA by Hussein Abdullahi

The Ethics and Anticorruption Commission EACC is out to put an end to rampant corruption in the National Police Service (NPS).

EACC says pervasive corruption in the NPS has reached worrying levels and if left unchecked, it will undermine the ability of the law enforcement agencies to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

Speaking to the media in Kwale County, EACC Chief Executive Officer CEO Maj. (Rtd.) Twalib Mbarak has singled out the Police Traffic Department as an institution that is ‘corrupt to the core’.

He says it is regrettable that police officers seem to have discarded their core values of integrity, transparency, patriotism and accountability as demanded from them.

His sentiments came hot on the heels after EACC officials arrested four traffic police officers in Machakos County on Sunday.

The EACC boss who spoke over the incident for the first time did not specify the amount of money or evidence recovered from the suspects but reiterated that those who are corrupt among the ranks of the police service would be dealt with accordingly.

He congratulated the EACC officers for sterling work in rooting out corruption in the country saying the Machakos incident should serve as a warning to all corrupt and rogue police officers that their days are numbered.

Mbarak said the officers were openly soliciting bribes from motorists along the Matuu-Mwingi road when they were nabbed by the anticorruption agency.

However it was not the first time some personnel of the police service have been alleged to be taking bribes from road users with some of these instances being caught on tape doing corrupt transactions.

Mbarak says the NPS remains the most corrupt government entity in the country with bribery rampant in the traffic department.

He says it is in the public sphere that the NPS is perceived to be one of the most corrupt government intuitions.

The anticorruption czar says the priority of the police should be to provide service to the people and not soliciting bribes.

“Actually, we are worried about the high levels of corruption and bribery inside the Police Traffic Department,” he said, adding that they have launched a new wave of campaigns against bribery and corruption in the Police Service.

He says traffic police have become notorious for demanding bribes from motorists who pass through roadblocks.

The EACC CEO says the NPS needs to change the narrative in the public sphere that it is one of the most corrupt government institutions.

“As EACC, we take a zero tolerance approach to corruption and we are cautioning police officers to avoid engaging themselves in acts of corruption in the discharge of their duties,” he said adding that they were out to redeem the name of the Police Service and restore public confidence in the institution.

The EACC boss at the same time urged members of the public to also take part in stamping out corruption in the country by abstaining from bribing police officers whenever they come into conflict with the law.

Mbarak says Kenyans should learn to report any public officials found dabbling in corrupt practices to relevant institutions mandated to deal with corruption such as the EACC.

“We implore the general public to assist the EACC in dealing with corruption by immediately reporting corrupt public officials,” he said, adding that the EACC would be relentless in its corruption cleansing efforts.

Courtesy; KNA