Bungoma Chief arrested for demanding bribe 'falls ill' before arraignment

An assistant chief in Bungoma County who was arrested for asking for a bribe 'fell ill' when he was taken to court.

John Murutu was arrested on Thursday, June 29 by officials from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after he allegedly demanded a Sh10,000 bribe to sign processing land succession documents for a bereaved family.

Murutu is attached to Sitikho Sub Location in Webuye Sub County.

According to the anti-graft agency, the assistant chief demanded the said amount from the family when they sought his help in the case.

EACC officials gave the family the said amount for presentation before arresting him.

Murutu was processed at the EACC Bungoma offices before arraignment at the Bungoma Magistrates Court where he is facing two counts of receiving a bribery.

After arriving at the court premises, Murutu fell ill and was unable to alight from the vehicle for transfer to the court cell before taking a plea.

The Magistrate was forced to defer his plea taking and released him on a Sh20,000 cash bail.

Confirming Thursday's arrest, EACC Head of Communications, Eric Ngumbi, revealed that the commission continues to record numerous cases around the country.

According to Ngumbi, cases where National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) demand bribes from members of the public, including widows seeking to process succession matters in order to render Government services have been on the rise.

Ngumbi added that it is due to such cases that in the National Surveys on Corruption and Ethics conducted by EACC over the years, the Ministry of Interior has been consistently ranked as the most corrupt Ministry in Government followed by the Health Ministry.

This comes barely two weeks after the arrest of Roysambu's Assistant County Commissioner Mercy Kavoi in Mathare, Nairobi for demanding a Sh50,000 bribe.

Kavoi was arrested alongside Muusya Musyoki, who is said to have received instructions to take the bribe money on her behalf.

She is said to have asked for the bribe in order to return construction materials which she had taken away following the demolishing of the complainant's structure, claiming that it was illegally constructed on a road reserve. Some of the materials in question are iron sheets and window frames.

The commission is urging Regional and County Commissioners to demand administrative accountability from the officers serving under them as a way of eradicating corruption at service delivery points at the grassroots.