Motorists’ complaints trigger dramatic arrest as anti-graft agency tightens noose on road bribery
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two traffic police officers attached to the Diani Traffic Base following a targeted operation along the busy Likoni–Lungalunga Road, in a renewed crackdown on bribery during the festive season.
The officers—Police Constable Agnes Longoet and Police Constable Alphanus Anayo—were apprehended on Tuesday after investigators caught them allegedly soliciting bribes from motorists plying the crucial South Coast highway.
According to the EACC, the arrests followed numerous complaints from motorists and members of the public who reported rampant extortion by traffic officers operating along the corridor. Investigators say the officers routinely demanded cash from drivers without conducting any vehicle inspections or enforcing traffic laws, turning roadblocks into cash collection points.
The anti-graft agency moved in after mounting covert investigations and surveillance, culminating in an operation that found the two officers in the act of allegedly demanding bribes.
Following their arrest, the suspects were escorted to the EACC Lower Coast Regional Office in Mombasa, where they are currently recording statements as investigations continue. The Commission is expected to forward the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) once inquiries are concluded.
The arrests come amid an intensified nationwide campaign by the EACC to clean up corruption on major highways, particularly during the festive season when traffic volumes spike and opportunities for extortion increase.
“The Commission is scaling up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting essential public services and sectors prone to bribery,” the EACC said in a statement, warning public officers that the net is tightening.
The Likoni–Lungalunga Road is a critical transport artery linking Mombasa to the South Coast and Tanzania, and has long been a hotspot for complaints over traffic-related corruption. Motorists have repeatedly decried harassment, arbitrary stops and cash demands, especially during peak travel periods.
As holiday travel hits its peak, the EACC has urged members of the public to reject and report bribery, reaffirming that corruption on Kenya’s roads remains a priority target in the broader fight against graft.
With the festive season underway, the message from the anti-graft watchdog is clear: the era of roadside extortion is on borrowed time.
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