The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested former Likoni District Criminal Investigation Officer (DCIO) Charles Onyango KA’galo on Tuesday evening over allegations of corruption.
EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi confirmed to newshub.co.ke that KA’galo was apprehended at his rural home in Oyugis, Homa Bay County.
He is expected to be presented before the Mombasa Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday morning, where he will face charges linked to corrupt activities during his tenure in office.
Following his arrest, KA’galo was detained at Port Police Station as he awaited his court appearance. His arrest comes just days after EACC Chairperson David Oginde highlighted widespread corruption within key government institutions.
Speaking on January 28, Oginde named the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) as among the most corrupt entities in Kenya, according to a recent report.
The report further disclosed that corruption is not limited to government officials alone, as their families and close associates are also involved in unethical dealings.
“We have noticed a growing trend where public officials are enlisting their family members—such as their children, spouses, and relatives—to act as proxies in looting public funds,” Oginde stated.
To curb the escalating levels of corruption, the EACC announced plans to embed its officers within various government institutions to investigate irregularities firsthand.
“We will deploy our officers to these institutions to assess the process of public service delivery and identify corrupt practices. For instance, we want to see what happens when someone tries to pay for a license,” EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud explained.
This is not the first time law enforcement officers have been caught in corruption scandals. On January 25, another officer affiliated with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was arrested and charged with soliciting a Ksh20,000 bribe to influence the outcome of a case.
The officer, a sergeant, was taken into custody by the EACC nearly seven years after allegedly committing the offense.
Kenya continues to struggle with widespread corruption, as reflected in a recent Transparency International report, which ranked the country at position 126 out of 180 in the global corruption index.
The report noted that many Kenyans, particularly those in urban areas, frequently pay small bribes of Ksh50, Ksh100, or Ksh200 to access government services.
EACC has reiterated its commitment to fighting corruption and ensuring that individuals implicated in graft cases, regardless of their positions, are held accountable.
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