On Tuesday evening, officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested two individuals in Bamburi, Mombasa County, for allegedly impersonating Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) officers to extort shopkeepers. The suspects, Tabitha Kwena and Wycliffe Nyamanya, were reportedly conducting inspections of goods in shops alongside uniformed police officers. They accused shop owners of selling expired products and used this as a pretext to detain and extort them, demanding sums ranging from Ksh.20,000 to Ksh.50,000.
The EACC revealed that Kwena and Nyamanya deceived the police into believing they were legitimate KEBS officers. The pair presented themselves as consumer protection officers from a fictitious agency called ‘Multi-Works and Rights Enforcement,’ and investigations suggest they have engaged in similar illegal activities across the country. Kwena, in particular, had previously been arrested in Kakamega County for extorting traders under similar false pretenses.
The suspects were taken to Central Police Station in Mombasa and were set to appear before the Mombasa Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday morning. The EACC explained that the ‘Multi-Works and Rights Enforcement’ agency falsely claims to be authorized to conduct criminal investigations, inspect shop inventories, and ensure compliance with product standards, licenses, and tax regulations. They have even gone as far as “arresting” traders for alleged violations.
