NAIROBI Kenya June 15 -The Roysambu Assistant County Commissioner and her agent were on June 14 arrested she demanded a bribe of Sh50,000 from a Mathare Slum resident in order to return to him construction materials which had been confiscated.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials said Mercy Kavoi and her agent David Musyoki had demanded the money before returning the materials which had been taken away after demolishing the complainant’s Mabati structure, claiming that it was illegally constructed on a road reserve.
The demolition was coordinated and executed by the ACC and local Chief for Riverside Location in Mathare North.
After demolition, the ACC took away all the construction materials including the iron sheets and window frames, which kept in her office.
EACC received the complaint on June 9, and immediately commenced undercover investigations.
In a meeting at the ACC’s office on June 13, the complainant pleaded for mercy to have the demanded Sh50,000 reduced.
“The ACC accepted to reduce the amount to Sh25,000 on condition that the complainant paid it in full and without further delay. The official then ordered the complainant not to deliver the money directly to her but hand it over to her agent, David Muusya Musyoki,” EACC said.
The agent was arrested when he had already received the money.
The ACC and her agent were escorted to EACC Integrity Centre Police Station where they were interviewed and recorded statements on the incident.
EACC later released them on police bail pending finalization of the remaining aspects of the investigation including recommendation of appropriate charges to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter.
According to corruption reports routinely received at EACC, this incident is an example of numerous similar cases where National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) across the country demand bribes from ordinary members of the public in order to render government services or forbear enforcement actions.
The NGAO officials have also been involved in other malpractices and criminal activities.
On May 16, stolen solar panels were recovered from the residence of Ithanga DCC Angela Makau in Matungulu, Machakos.
The 23 panels belonged to Ngatho Borehole Community Water Project under the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation were last week recovered from a farm in Matungulu Sub County, Machakos County.
The recovered panels were part of the larger project by National Government to provide water to Ithanga area and were reported to have been stolen in August 2022, bringing the project to a halt.
In another case on April 19, he two administrators, both ACCs, were arrested after they were found with papers for all the eight subjects they were supposed to undertake at Nairobi Technical Training Institute in Pangani, Nairobi.
Lukhalo Pascilisa Minayo, an ACC attached to Mwala DCC had the materials on her mobile phone and a small handwritten paper. Her colleague, Nuriah Muhammud Yusuf also an ACC attached to DCC Kasarani had examination materials on her mobile phone and a note book with questions and answers.
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