Joan Achieng Odumbe, a surveyor based in Narok County, has been arrested by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over claims of soliciting and receiving a bribe from a member of the public.
According to the EACC, Odumbe is accused of demanding Ksh100,000 from a complainant to facilitate the identification of beacons between two parcels of land in Nairagie Enkare Sub-County, Narok County.
The identification of land boundaries is an important process for property owners, particularly where disputes or uncertainty over the position of beacons may arise.
In this case, the commission said preliminary investigations were conducted after receiving the complaint before an operation was mounted to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported demand.
The operation resulted in Odumbe being arrested at the Narok County offices while receiving Ksh50,000. The money was reportedly part of the Ksh100,000 that she had been asked to receive from the complainant.
Following her arrest, Odumbe was escorted to the EACC South Rift Regional Office in Nakuru, where she was taken through processing procedures and recorded a statement. Her case is expected to proceed as investigations continue and the commission completes the necessary steps before any further action is taken.
The arrest comes at a time when the anti-graft agency has stepped up operations targeting bribery in government offices and other public service points.
EACC said it remains committed to tackling bribery and other forms of corruption that affect service delivery. The commission said its efforts are aimed at improving public services and ensuring citizens can access government services without being subjected to unlawful demands for money.
The Narok case is also part of a series of recent operations by EACC involving public officers accused of demanding or receiving bribes.
A day before Odumbe’s arrest, EACC officers arrested two officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices in Kipkelion Sub-County.
The two were accused of demanding Ksh500,000 from a complainant in exchange for terminating a murder case against him. They were arrested while allegedly receiving Ksh120,000.
Earlier on Wednesday, September 9, EACC also reported separate arrests involving court staff in Eldoret and Nakuru.
In Eldoret, a court assistant attached to a Magistrate’s Court was arrested after allegedly receiving Ksh20,000 in connection with a reported bribe to facilitate the issuance of a stay order stopping the auction of a parcel of land.
The complaint had stated that Ksh50,000 was demanded to secure the order.
In Nakuru, a court process server attached to the Nakuru Law Courts Civil Registry was arrested over claims of soliciting money to allocate a convenient mention date for a case. The suspect was later released on Ksh5,000 cash bail as investigations continued.
