Five traffic police officers have been arrested over allegations of extorting motorists along the Busia-Kisumu Road near Busia Town. The officers were apprehended during an anti-corruption operation and are currently being held at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s (EACC) Western Regional offices in Bungoma for processing.
The arrests come amid ongoing nationwide efforts to curb rampant bribery within law enforcement. According to findings by the EACC, traffic police officers are among the top public servants involved in bribery, with estimates suggesting that officers collectively collect billions of shillings in bribes each month. The practice, described as “petty corruption,” has been identified as a major threat to public trust, road safety, and effective service delivery.
Investigations indicate that a single traffic officer can collect as much as Sh100,000 daily in bribes from motorists. These small payments, often disguised as “tea” or “appreciation,” are said to accumulate into enormous sums when multiplied across thousands of officers nationwide. The EACC estimates that the total amount collected by traffic police officers could exceed Sh3 billion every month, money directly extracted from the pockets of ordinary Kenyans.
The Commission has expressed concern that the normalization of such acts of corruption undermines efforts to build integrity within public institutions. The EACC emphasized that what many dismiss as minor corruption has far-reaching consequences, both economically and socially. For instance, a Sh100 bribe given to a police officer to ignore worn-out tyres or defective vehicles could ultimately result in fatal road accidents.
Officials have also warned that corruption at service delivery points—such as police stations, county offices, and immigration departments—continues to burden citizens seeking essential services. The money lost through these illegal transactions reduces citizens’ confidence in government systems and hampers economic progress.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to intensifying surveillance and enforcement operations targeting officers who engage in bribery. It also urged Kenyans to report any incidents of extortion or corruption they encounter on the roads or in public offices. The arrest of the five officers in Busia serves as a warning that the era of impunity is coming to an end as authorities tighten the noose on corrupt practices within the police service.
