Nyandarua Sub-County Administrator Joseph Kamau Gathenge has been arrested over allegations of soliciting a bribe from two local bar owners.
According to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission, the suspect had demanded Ksh40,000 from the traders as a condition for releasing keg cylinders, keg pumps and beer that he had confiscated and detained by his team.
The officer was allegedly arrested on Saturday, December 23, 2023, while receiving the money after EACC sleuths laid a trap for him.
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"The two traders refused to succumb to the bribe demand and instead reported the matter to the EACC Central Regional Office in Nyeri which apprehended the suspect while receiving the money," EACC said.
Gathenge was booked at Ndaragua Police Station pending further action.
EACC said extortion cases are on the rise as business owners gear up for Christmas and New Year festivities.
"The official is one of the enforcement officers taking advantage of the ongoing festive season to extort money from operators of entertainment joints under the pretext of enforcing regulatory compliance," EACC added further urging members of the public to report the cases to the commission for immediate action through toll-free line 1551.
In July this year, sleuths attached to EACC arrested the Head of Liquor Licensing in Githunguri Sub-County, Kiambu County, Mercy Wambui, over allegations of soliciting a Ksh40,000 bribe.
EACC said Wambui was arrested following investigations into a complaint lodged by a bar owner in Kiambu.
The suspect is said to have impounded the businesswoman's goods for operating the bar outside the stipulated hours.
"On 28 June 2023, Kiambu County Enforcement Officers, including the suspect, went to her bar business premises and found her employees stocking beverages and undertaking stock-taking for the day. The liquor licensing officials accused the complainant of opening and operating a bar before the stipulated time. They, thus, confiscated the complainant’s goods and went away with them," EACC said.
"The complainant did a follow-up with the officials at their office whereby the suspect demanded a bribe of Ksh40,000/= in order to absolve the complainant of the alleged offence and return the impounded goods."
She allegedly threatened to revoke the businesswoman's licence in the event she failed to honour the officer's demands.
A month earlier, officers from the anti-graft body also arrested a police officer for demanding and receiving a Ksh4,000 bribe from a motorist to facilitate release of a car detained at Mumias Police Station in Kakamega County.
