City Hall official arrested for demanding KSh100,000 bribe

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Tuesday mounted an operation leading to the arrest of one Joseph Kiplang’at Leitich, an Enforcement Officer of the rank of Senior Sergeant attached to the Environment Section of the Nairobi City County Government that regulates dumping of waste.

The officer had solicited a bribe of KSh100,000 from the complainant so as not to charge in court three employees of the complainant who had been arrested and were, according to him, due for arraignment before a city court to face charges relating to dumping of waste.

The complainant’s employees were arrested on Saturday and put in custody at Central Police Station.

They were released the following day on a cash bail KSh5,000 each to appear before Nairobi City Court on Tuesday, 13th December to answer to charges of unlawful dumping of waste.

On Sunday, December 11 the suspect demanded a bribe of KSh100,000 from the Complainant so as to order their release.

The complainant did not accept this idea but instead asked the employees to present themselves before the City Court on Tuesday, 13th December 2022 as earlier directed by the suspect.

However, on appearing before the City Court, their names were not called from the court and no charges were preferred against them. Neither the suspect nor any other enforcement officer from City Hall showed up in court to meet the three employees.

Faced with this situation, the complainant went back to the county government’s office to inquire on the matter.

When the complainant reached the suspect’s office, the suspect insisted on getting the bribe he had demanded so as to "finish" the matter, "clear" the three employees and "waive" the criminal charges he allegedly had against them.

Determined not to succumb to the bribe demand, the complainant rushed to EACC offices at Integrity Centre where he reported the matter.

After preliminary investigations, EACC verified the allegations and forthwith mounted an operation leading to the arrest of the suspect while receiving KSh30,000 as part of the bribe demanded.

Upon arrest, the suspect was escorted to Kilimani Police Station where he spent the night.

He was today (Wednesday, December 15) transferred to EACC Integrity Centre Police Station where he has recorded a statement and released on cash bail pending further processing in accordance with the law.

Subject to concurrence of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the suspect will be charged in court and subsequently suspended from office in accordance with the law.