The National Police Service of Kenya (NPS) has taken action against a police officer who was filmed allegedly taking bribes from a Public Service Vehicle (PSV).
NPS in a statement on Friday, April 12 said that the officer captured on video allegedly extorting bribes had been positively identified.
“Please be informed that the National Police Service has positively identified the Traffic Police Officer seen in the video clip circulating on social media, while allegedly collecting bribes from public service vehicles,” read part of the statement.
NPS further noted that the officer has since been suspended from the Traffic Police Unit with immediate effect.
According to the statement, the officer attached to the Traffic unit within Buruburu Police Station was suspended, with proceedings for his dismissal ongoing.
“The National Police Service takes this opportunity to commend members of the public and Members of the Press for their continued collaboration with NPS in the fight against corruption,” added NPS.
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Additionally, NPS affirmed its commitment to its constitutional mandate of fighting corruption.
Police Service put on the spot
A March 27, 2024, report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) put NPS on the spot after ranking it among government agencies with the highest prevalence of bribery in 2023.
According to the report, various departments within the service were ranked to have recorded substantial amounts of bribes on average.
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However, Inspector-General of Police Japheth Koome downplayed involvement of police in taking bribes from motorists during a recent press briefing.
Koome who spoke on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, during a joint press conference on road safety at Transcom House instead asked officers not to be intimidated in discharging their duty.
The joint press conference was convened by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to address the surge of road accidents in the country.
“I am asking my officers not to be intimidated by anyone but discharge their duties as required of them by the law,” Koome said.
During his vetting in November 2022 upon his nomination for the top police job, Koome had pledged to stop bribery, stating that he would stamp out corruption in the service.
