Three traffic police officers arrested after being nabbed for collecting bribes

There was drama along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway after officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission nabbed three traffic officers allegedly collecting bribes from motorists.

During the incident near the Naivasha town, two officers who had fled to nearby bushes were arrested through the help of members of the public as the purge against corruption continued.

The EACC officers were on their way to Nakuru for a different sting operation when they came face to face with the officers demanding cash from PSVs.

The officers managed to recover Sh2,000 in Sh50 notes from the three officers before whisking them to the area police station and later to Nairobi.

Transport along the busy highway was temporarily paralyzed during the Thursday evening incident as motorists moved in to witness the rare drama as the hunters became the hunted.

A hawker John Kiragu narrated how the over ten EACC officers dashed from their vehicles and cornered one of the police officers as two of his colleagues escaped.

He added that the fleeing police officers were arrested a few meters from the scene of the incident and bundled into the waiting EACC vehicle.

“The officers were caught red-handed and several Sh100 and Sh50 notes recovered from their pockets during the incident,” he said.

Speaking on phone, EACC spokesperson Yassin Amaro confirmed the incident adding that the trio would be charged in court with various offences.

Amaro said that they had received tens of complaints from members of the public over the officers manning the roadblock.

“Our officers were on their way to Nakuru for another operation when they found this traffic officers openly collecting cash from motorists,” he said.

Amaro added that the arrest targeting corrupt officers regardless of their rank would continue in the country until the vice was fully addressed.

By Anthony Gitonga