Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, arrested two government officials from the Civil Registration Department in Kakamega.
The two are accused of asking for and receiving bribes from people applying for civil registration documents such as birth certificates.
The suspects include a Civil Registrar based at the Kakamega Huduma Centre and a Civil Registration Officer. They are alleged to have been demanding money from applicants in exchange for faster services.
According to the EACC, the bribes were reportedly being paid through a mobile money till number not linked to any government system.
This suggests that the operation was well-organized and part of a larger bribery network.
At the time they were arrested, the two officials had just received Ksh2,500 from an applicant to speed up the processing of a birth certificate.
In a public statement, the EACC confirmed the arrests, saying: “On Tuesday, 15th April 2025, the EACC apprehended two officials from the Kakamega Civil Registration Department for allegedly demanding and receiving bribes from members of the public seeking essential registration services.”
The statement further revealed that the suspects were using a private mobile money account to receive the bribes, indicating that the corruption scheme was deliberate and possibly involved more individuals.
Following their arrest, the two officials were taken to Bungoma Police Station and are expected to undergo further interrogation at the EACC’s Western Regional Offices in Bungoma.
The EACC emphasized that it has ramped up its efforts to fight corruption and misuse of public resources, especially at key service delivery points. The Commission noted that bribery does more than just break the law—it denies ordinary citizens access to essential government services and erodes trust in public institutions.
In a separate but related operation carried out the same day, EACC detectives also raided the residence and office of Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi.
The morning operation was part of a broader investigation into the alleged embezzlement of public funds and abuse of office.
During the raid, EACC officers searched the homes of nine other senior officials from the Kiambu County Government.
EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud later confirmed that Ksh13 million in cash was recovered from the governor’s home. The Commission believes the money is linked to corrupt dealings and misuse of public funds.
In addition to the governor, nine other high-ranking county officials were taken into custody.
They are facing serious charges, including conflict of interest, procurement fraud, and abuse of office in relation to the awarding of a massive Ksh230 million contract.
The contract was for the supply, delivery, installation, training, and support of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
Among those arrested alongside the governor were the County Secretary, the County Executive Committee (CEC) Members for Finance and Lands, the Chief Officer for Finance, Directors from the Supply Chain and Revenue departments, a clerical officer, and a director of the company that won the contract.
EACC has vowed to continue cracking down on corruption across all levels of government, warning that public officials will be held accountable for abusing their positions and mismanaging taxpayer money.
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