Motorists Storm Government Offices Following Alleged Corruption Scandal
Operations at the Kenya Pipeline Eldoret hub were brought to a standstill after hundreds of long-distance truck drivers stormed the premises to protest what they claimed was widespread corruption involving top customs officials.
The drivers, many of whom are members of the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association, disrupted normal activities at the busy facility on Monday.
They accused both customs officers and terminal managers of offering poor services despite the drivers regularly paying required fees and levies.
Carrying tree branches and chanting slogans, the angry drivers blocked the terminal’s entrance and exit points. Police officers who had been called in struggled to control the situation and restore order as tensions ran high.
During the protest, the drivers openly named several customs officials whom they alleged were running a corruption network that had made their work unbearable.
According to the drivers, these officials were demanding unreasonable payments, sometimes as high as Ksh2,000, depending on the type of cargo being transported.
“This driving job is no longer worth it!” one frustrated driver shouted. “Every time we go to load cargo, we lose not less than Ksh2,000, and that amount changes depending on what you’re carrying.”
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, by the time of publishing, neither customs authorities nor the management at the terminal had issued any official response to the drivers’ claims.
The dramatic scenes in Eldoret came just a day after the Motorists Association of Kenya released a strongly-worded statement condemning what it described as widespread extortion, abuse of authority, and harassment by rogue officers within the National Police Service—particularly under the cover of enforcing traffic rules.
In their statement, the association expressed anger over how traffic policing in Kenya has changed from being a public safety service to what they called a money-making scheme that targets innocent motorists.
According to the group, some officers have turned into extortionists, focusing more on harassing and exploiting road users instead of protecting them.
“The stories we’re hearing are terrifying,” the statement read. “Speed traps are being set up with fake speed limits just to catch drivers unaware.
Matatu drivers are being forced to pay illegal ‘protection fees’ or face trumped-up charges. These officers are not serving the people—they are hiding on roadsides like hunters, waiting to ambush unsuspecting drivers.”
The association has now called for a full audit of all traffic police operations, especially how cash bails and traffic fines are collected and handled. They argue that transparency is urgently needed to expose deep-rooted corruption and financial misuse within the force.
In addition, the group proposed the creation of a special task force made up of civilian-led oversight bodies and independent prosecutors.
This task force, they said, should be given full legal authority and must operate without any interference from police officers to effectively investigate what they described as “extortion cartels” within the National Police Service.
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