Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is seeking the arrest of Kinangop Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Walter Obegi for allegations of corruption.
According to EACC, the officer had demanded Ksh100,000 from a local businessman as a ‘protection fee’ against interference before going into hiding after getting wind that he was being pursued.
“EACC has asked Kinangop North Sub-County Police Commander to pursue and apprehend Kinangop OCS Chief Inspector Walter Obegi, who escaped arrest by detectives on Tuesday over a bribery demand. The Sub-County Commander is to escort the fugitive OCS to the Commission’s Central Regional Offices in Nyeri for processing.
‘Protection fee’
“The OCS fled from EACC detectives pursuing him following investigations into a complaint that he demanded Ksh100,000 from a local businessman at Engineer Town in Nyandarua County as a condition for allowing the trader to enjoy ’business protection’ and run his businesses in the town ‘smoothly’ and ‘uninterruptedly,” EACC said in a statement.
Obegi is said to have sent a junior officer, Donald Obare, to collect part of the money – Ksh60,000 – on his behalf before the corporal was arrested.
“His junior, PC Donald Obare Onyango, who had been assigned by the OCS to receive the money from the complainant, was apprehended and booked at Njambini Police Station.
“PC Onyango had received Kes. 60,000 on behalf of the OCS, being part of the demanded bribe of Ksh100,000. The OCS had already received an initial deposit of Ksh30,000,” the statement added.
EACC’s emphasis
EACC emphasized that it will deal with all corruption cases and condemned police officers who demand bribes from the citizens whom they should protect.
“The law requires EACC to deal with all forms of corruption and will continue to do so. It is not only criminal but also immoral for public officials to use the very offices they hold in trust for citizens to extort money from them,” it concluded.
The Kinangop case comes after another police officer, Inspector of Police Susan Wambui Muiruri, the Officer-in-Charge of Zimmerman Police Post in Kasarani Division – was charged with corruption.
