Busia land official arrested for allegedly receiving a Sh10,000 bribe to release a title deed

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a senior lands official in Busia for allegedly demanding a bribe of Sh10,000 from a complainant in order to release a title deed he had processed. According to the EACC through Western Regional Office, the suspect was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after he withheld pending payment of the bribe as "release fees'. The Commission said the operation came after receiving multiple complaints from Busia residents that the official has allegedly made it a routine to withhold titles processed for members of the public seeking services at the Lands Registry, after which he demands bribes in order to release them. The suspect was escorted to the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma, where he was processed and later booked at Bungoma Police Station pending further processing on Wednesday. EACC says the operation is part of the ongoing crackdown on bribery in public service delivery to improve access to quality services for all citizens. Furthermore, it added that the Commission will continue to scale up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting public institutions that provide essential services and are prone to bribery. EACC Head of Corporate Communication Stephen Karuga confirmed the arrest, stating that the suspect is being processed for arraignment. "We indeed have the suspect, and he was arrested following massive complaints from members of the public, and he is being processed for arraignment," said Karuga. Locals have welcomed the efforts by the Commission, urging it to scale up and target more government institutions. "We have alot of cases where vulnerable people in the community have been finding it difficult to get services due to bribery by state officials who are mandated to serve Kenyans unconditionally, and we are urging EACC not to relent in this fight against corruption," said James Msungu, a Kakamega resident. On Monday, during the corruption prevention forum with Kakamega executive officials, EACC said as part of corruption prevention, the Commission will assist institutions to develop and implement Corruption Risk Management Plans. "For more clarity, Corruption Risk Management is a structured process to proactively identify and mitigate potential corrupt conduct within an organisation or project. It involves a systematic analysis of an organisation's systems, policies and procedures to establish weaknesses and loopholes that could be exploited by individuals to perpetuate corrupt conduct," said Eric Ngumbi, EACC Western Regional Manager. The Commission stated that it is investigating whether some senior county officials in the Western region are using junior officers to loot public funds by registering proxy companies that are paid for no work done. EACC added that it has scaled up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting public institutions that provide essential services and are prone to bribery. "In this strategic area, the Commission is implementing targeted integrity testing and monitoring programs to reduce corruption in public service delivery, restore public trust, and improve access to quality services by all citizens," said Ngumbi. Public awareness programs to create a culture of integrity and proactive public engagement, with a focus on youth and media.

Busia land official arrested for allegedly receiving a Sh10,000 bribe to release a title deed

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Busia land official arrested for allegedly receiving a Sh10,000 bribe to release a title deed

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