The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday arrested five traffic police officers accused of extorting money from motorists along the Busia–Kisumu Road, near Busia Town.
According to the commission, the operation was launched following reports of widespread bribery and harassment of road users in the region. The suspects were allegedly caught red-handed demanding and collecting bribes from drivers.
The officers were taken to the EACC Western Regional Offices in Bungoma for processing and interrogation.
This latest crackdown mirrors a similar one in August 2025, when four traffic police officers were arrested over bribery allegations along the Nairobi–Nyeri–Embu Highway.
Those officers were accused of soliciting and receiving bribes from motorists, matatu operators, and truck drivers. Three of them were from Makutano Traffic Base, while the fourth was attached to Juja Traffic Base in Embu County.
Motorists have long lamented the rampant unlawful “toll points” created by some officers to collect bribes, often demanding between Ksh50 and Ksh200 — or more for minor offenses.
A recent EACC report listed police officers among the most corrupt professionals in Kenya, with 47% of respondents citing the police service as the leading recipient of bribes.
“An analysis of bribe receivers revealed that police officers (29.93%), the National Registration Bureau (19.7%), medical officers (9.53%), land registry officials (7.39%), and immigration officers (5.8%) were the top recipients,” the report stated.