Traffic officers claim chamas, merry-go-rounds source of funds sent to bosses

Sergeant David Onyuka of Kericho Traffic Base appears before the National Police Service Commission vetting panel in Nakuru on August 25, 2016. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Officers claim funds sent to seniors originated from merry-go-rounds, welfare groups or wives' second-hand clothes businesses.
  • Among those who found themselves in a tight spot was Naivasha deputy Traffic Base Commander Inspector Thomas Oseko.
  • The officer was asked to explain why he sent his boss huge amounts of money more than 17 times while working in Machakos.

Shocking revelations of what appears to be an elaborate syndicate where junior officers in the traffic department send huge amounts of money to their seniors have been revealed as vetting entered the third day.

Financial impropriety and mishandling of traffic cases haunted majority of the traffic police officers who appeared before the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).

In what appears to be a pre-arranged strategy, the officers, pressed to explain huge transactions with their bosses, said the funds originated from merry-go-rounds, welfare groups also known as chamas, and their wives' mitumba businesses.

Among those who found themselves in a tight spot was Naivasha deputy Traffic Base Commander Inspector Thomas Oseko who was pressed by the panel chaired by NPSC chairman Johnston Kavuludi to explain why he had sent his boss huge amounts of money more than 17 times while working in Machakos.

The panel heard that while serving as the deputy traffic base commander in Machakos, between 2012 and 2013, he used to send the then Eastern Region Traffic Enforcement Officer Joseph Kibet Kimeli huge amounts of unexplained cash.

The officer defended himself saying the money was part of collections from various groups formed by police officers to raise money to support each other in times of need.

However, Commissioner Murshid Mohamed, while demanding to know the source of the 'strange’ cash said officers being vetted were using chamas to cover up illegal financial transactions.

“Many officers have talked about chamas and merry-go-rounds. We find that the assertions are not truthful but a way people may want to explain the transactions between one officer and another,” he said.

Pressed further, the officer contradicted himself saying he sent the money to him when he had financial difficulties.

Commissioner Ronald Musengi wondered why Mr Oseko, a junior officer was able to be aid financially another officer earning more than five times his salary.

“Who was supposed to be helping who? Records indicate you sent him money on several occasions running to millions of shillings,” posed Mr Musengi.

There were also moments of laughter when senior sergeant Martin Ombalo, an officer attached to the Eldoret traffic police base, said he runs an omena business, stating that it was the source of the huge money noted in his M-Pesa transactions.

Others on the spot for sending bosses money included Corporal Moses Lemonyog attached to Kericho traffic base and Sergeant Daniel Muteti Kioko of Salgaa traffic base.

Some of the officers who were vetted revealed that they received money in forms of gifts from members of the public.

"In most cases we receive money without asking and some people call us and tell us 'kula nyama, kunywa chai (take tea, eat roast meat) 'or lunch out of their generosity," said Kericho traffic base Sergeant David Onyuka.

The commission also noted that various police stations had M-Pesa outlets within their compounds or in the vicinity owned by police officers.