Recently, police officers have been illicitly coercing money from the public, leading to a surge in such incidents. Just a few days ago, detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) apprehended Chief Inspector Duncan Otieng, the commander of Ruai police station. They accused him of demanding a Ksh 5,000 bribe to release suspects held in police custody. The arrest of the Ruai Police Station Commanding Officer (OCS) has exposed the underhanded methods that law enforcement personnel use to extort funds from the public after apprehending them on unfounded or fabricated charges.
Duncan’s arrest came after Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome publicly admitted to the widespread corruption within the police service. Various assessments, including those conducted by the EACC and other organizations, consistently rank the police service among the most corrupt public institutions.
At the same time, Felix Koskei, the public service boss, recounted an incident in which police officers forced him to part with Sh1,000. Speaking to police commanders in Nairobi, Koskei shared that while driving within Nairobi, a traffic police officer patrolling on a motorcycle signaled him to stop.
The officer, he explained, demanded the money as a bribe for the offense of failing to stop, threatening to file charges against him. “You people give us a hard time. We’re heading to Kilimani Station,” the officer purportedly told the Chief of Staff. Amid laughter from the police officers, Koskei stated that the officer implored for leniency upon realizing his senior status.
Despite Koskei’s apology and disclosure of his identity, the officer persisted in demanding the money, citing the chilly weather as a pretext. “I wasn’t asking for a bribe; I was just commenting on the cold, and I recognized you, but with this motorcycle, the cold is unbearable,” the officer explained. Nevertheless, Koskei reluctantly complied with the demand while cautioning the officer about the potential consequences of his actions, including the possibility of dismissal from the service.