The police have once again come to the spotlight for collecting bribes. Traffic police and even those on patrol are said to be collecting huge amounts in bribes from individuals and matatus daily.
A few cases have been highlighted on social media, paving the way for the prosecution of rogue policemen. The cops seem to have come up with ingenious ways of collecting bribes, ensuring that they leave no paper trail.
It has taken a few brave Kenyans to expose the rot in the police force by recording and even keeping Mpesa messages which they use to report to higher authorities.
Here are the tricks used by rogue police officers to collect bribes
Cash
This is self-explanatory. They find you on the wrong, ask for cash and case closed.
However, to avoid being recorded receiving the monies, the cops have deviced a smart trick whereby they install about two people at particular matatu stages to do their dirty work.
Read: Police Officer Arrested for Robbing Tuk Tuk Driver of Sh1,100 in Murang’a
Last month, a video surfaced online showing two traffic police officers along a city road. A few metres away, two civilians waited for oncoming matatus. They would then hop into the matatu and disembark a few metres away, after which they would asually pass by the spot where the police were. The civilians were collecting bribes on behalf of the police, and handing over the cash long after the matatus were gone. It would be hard to link the chain were it not for the keen eye of the person who recorded the video.
Mpesa
Electronic money has become so popular in Kenya, and anyone can go days now without cash. This is because you can use Mpesa to pay for shopping, services and even to travel. It means Mpesa is also being used to collect bribes.
The disadvantage with Mpesa is that the person sending money will be left with evidence from the transaction messages. Although most people report that officers who collect bribes using Mpesa delete the messages, the transactions are easily available from the Mpesa statement and the Mpesa app.
Read also: Five Cops Arrested for Allegedly Robbing Suspect of Sh1,030 while Enforcing Curfew Rules in Ruiru
One of the recent cases involves a case where a police officer sent Sh1,030 from a civilian’s phone to a different number. The civilian shared the incident on Twitter and upon investigating, it was discovered that an Mpesa agent had been tasked with receiving the bribes on his phone number and later giving cash to the officers.
Other incidences report that the cops now ask civilians to withdraw from an Mpesa agent, where they collect the cash from.
Another incident reported indicates that petrol station attendants have colluded with the police officers to help them collect bribes. The officers direct a civilian to ‘purchase’ fuel using the petrol station’s Mpesa till number. In real sense, no fuel is purchased. The money is simply deposited with the petrol station and the cop then collects his cash from there.
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