Joseph Boinett forms new police unit to fight graft
Frome left: Ms Veronicah Leiro, Mr Patrick Mumo and Traffic Police officer John Kipsang appear before a Kisii court on June 20, 2016 to face bribery charges. Police have formed a new unit to fight graft. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
What you need to know:
The unit has so far roughed up nine traffic police officers and two members of the public who were allegedly found soliciting and receiving bribes.
On November 10, at around 3pm, the unit arrested Constable Jackson Chepsiror Kiptanui for allegedly soliciting for a kickback from motorist.
The team found Sh14,450 on the officer who was later locked up at the Thika Police Station.
The cash included 112 Sh100 notes and 65 Sh50 notes.
The National Police Service has set up a special unit to arrest corrupt officers.
The unit, based at the police headquarters, Vigilance House in Nairobi, is headed by a Commissioner of Police, and it is made up of 300 officers drawn from the General Service Unit and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
It has been in operation for the last one week and is already causing sharp divisions within the service.
NINE POLICE
The unit has so far roughed up nine traffic police officers and two members of the public who were allegedly found soliciting and receiving bribes.
On November 10, at around 3pm, the unit arrested Constable Jackson Chepsiror Kiptanui for allegedly soliciting for a kickback from motorist.
The team found Sh14,450 on the officer who was later locked up at the Thika Police Station.
The cash included 112 Sh100 notes and 65 Sh50 notes.
OFFICER ESCAPES
Another officer, Corporal Alex Mureithi, however, managed to flee from the scene.
On November 11, along the Embu-Nairobi road, the team arrested Corporal Julius Mutune, a driver attached to the Eastern region traffic headquarters.
He seized together with Ms Jane Marigu Ireri, an Embu County Government revenue collector, as she allegedly received a bribe from the corporal.
The anti-corruption fighters claimed that they saw Corporal Mutune taking the money and handing it to Ms Ireri.
The corporal was carrying out traffic check together with Corporal Abudo Galgalo, Constable Henry Kamau, and Constable Mohammed Hassan.
TAKING CASH
The same day, three other officers and a motorist were arrested at Kiganjo, along the Nyeri-Nanyuki road, and Sh15,950 seized.
The arrested officers were identified as Sergeant Raphael Mutiso Kithuka, Constable Jackson Mwaka Kasambia, and Constable Vincent Gatuma Wanjiru, who is also a police driver.
A matatu driver, Mr Paul Mahinda Wahome, was also seized after he was allegedly found giving a bribe.
SOCIAL MEDIA
The unit has caused anxiety within the service, with police officers taking to social media to register their discontent with its composition and mandate.
Some have warned that since it was only targeting a particular department, Traffic Police, the overall objective of dealing with corruption within the service was unlikely to be achieved.
“This if not checked, may culminate into departmental balkanisation and warfare,” read one of the posts on Facebook.
The officers also want the Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinett to explain how officers who are found not to have received bribes will be “compensated” after being embarrassed.
ROUGHED UP
They cited a case where some officers are roughed up as the public watches but no bribe cash is found on them.
Others feel that corruption within the service, including Vigilance House and DCI headquarters, should be dealt with first.
Senior officers within the personnel department are said to be demanding bribes for lucrative deployments, transfers, and even promotions of junior officers.
“Eradicating this must precede any effort to tame external acts,” they said.
