Bribery lands Kirinyaga liquor licensing officials in trouble

Integrity Centre, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption headquarters in Nairobi. In Kenya, one of the many weaknesses we have that poses the greatest threat to our national well-being is corruption. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The two officials were arrested on Saturday night at a hotel in Karatina town, Nyeri County.
  • Mr Rasugu said that once investigations are complete, the suspects will be charged with corruption and economic crimes offences.
  • Another Kirinyaga County government official is being sought over misappropriation of over Sh27 million at Thika Technical Training Institute.

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested two officials of the Kirinyaga County government for allegedly demanding and receiving a bribe of Sh300,000 so as to give a trader a liquor licence.

Mr Samuel Mwangi Mureithi, Kirinyaga Central director of liquor licensing and Mr Joseph Mureithi Njeru, Kirinyaga Central Sub-county administrator, were arrested on Saturday night at a hotel in Karatina town, Nyeri County.

LOCKED UP

EACC Central Region Manager Charles Rasugu, while confirming the arrests, said the two officials had been locked up at Karatina Police Station as investigations continue.

"The businessman complained to us on Thursday that the two officials were demanding for a bribe in order to issue him with the licence. We laid a trap and we managed to arrest them," said Mr Rasugu.

"The Commission was investigating a complaint," he added.

ECONOMIC CRIMES

Mr Rasugu said that once investigations are complete, the suspects will be charged with corruption and economic crimes offences.

The arrests come as detectives from the Directorate of Criminal hunt for another county government official, Micheal Mutugi Gacheru, in connection to fraud and misappropriation of over Sh27 million at Thika Technical Training Institute.

Mr Gacheru is a former bursar at the college and currently works with the Kirinyaga County government as a senior official in the revenue collection department.

He is charged alongside six others including Principal Mary Mumbua, Jefferson Ndichu Kariuki (former principal), John Mwangi Macharia (former board chairman), Samuel Thuo (former finance officer), Johnson Kihumba Ichugu (internal auditor) and Eunice Wairimu (Thika Sub-County Ministry of Education auditor).