Four employees from the National Treasury Pensions Department have landed in hot water after a damning investigation revealed their involvement in a bribery syndicate that extorted over KSh10 million from the public.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) busted the ring following a two-month undercover operation triggered by widespread complaints.
Shockingly, the corruption network reached deep into the heart of the department, with senior officers allegedly using an intern’s mother’s mobile paybill to siphon money from desperate pension claimants.
EACC Uncovers Rot in the National Treasury
The EACC confirmed the arrests on Thursday, July 17, following an intensive covert operation launched after multiple complaints from the public. Many Kenyans had reported that they were being frustrated by officials at the Pensions Department whenever they sought services.
The anti-corruption watchdog acted swiftly, planting investigators within the department to monitor activities. Their probe uncovered a well-coordinated criminal network involving two senior pension officers, a chief clerical officer, and an intern.
These officials are accused of demanding bribes from members of the public in exchange for faster processing of pension claims and other services.
What alarmed investigators the most was the use of a mobile money paybill account to facilitate the illegal transactions. The EACC report revealed that the account, which collected over KSh10.5 million in two years, was registered under the intern’s mother’s name.
“In the last two years, a total of KSh10,523,044 has been transacted through the paybill account, with the above suspects receiving various amounts,” the EACC noted.
The suspected officers reportedly instructed victims to send money through the paybill to jump the queue or have their documents processed without delay.
Officials Processed at Integrity Centre
Following their arrest, the suspects were processed at the Integrity Centre Police Station. They are now expected to be moved to Kilimani Police Station as investigations continue. The EACC has emphasized that more arrests could follow, depending on how the investigations unfold.
This scandal is one of the most recent in a series of sting operations targeting corrupt government officials. It further highlights the growing use of digital payment systems to mask illegal dealings within public offices.
The intern’s role in the racket raises serious questions about oversight and recruitment procedures within government departments. More so, the fact that the intern’s mother’s personal account was used as a conduit for the illicit funds shows how far the officials went to avoid detection.
The EACC is expected to forward the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) once investigations are complete, potentially leading to formal charges.
Growing Trend of Bribery in Government Offices
This scandal follows similar operations where EACC officers have nabbed government officials red-handed while demanding or receiving bribes.
In April, two officials from the Civil Registration Department in Kakamega were arrested. The duo—a civil registrar at the Kakamega Huduma Centre and a civil registration officer—allegedly asked applicants to part with money to have their documents processed quickly.
In March, another high-profile bust occurred when an official from the Lands Control Board was caught receiving a KSh70,000 bribe. The official had promised to speed up approval of a land transaction in exchange for the illegal payment.
These arrests are part of the EACC’s renewed effort to combat entrenched corruption in Kenya’s public sector. The commission has adopted aggressive sting operations and digital forensics to track irregular payments and identify corrupt officers.
However, despite increased crackdowns, cases like the National Treasury Bribery Scam reveal how corruption networks continue to thrive in high-level offices, often involving junior staff, clerks, and even interns.
Kenyans Call for Accountability and Reforms
The revelations have sparked outrage from the public, especially from retirees and their families who rely on pension payments. Many view the actions of the implicated officers as a betrayal of public trust.
“This is pure theft from the elderly. These people should be jailed and banned from holding public office,” said one Nairobi resident who had previously reported being asked for a bribe to process a deceased relative’s pension.
Civil society groups are now calling on the Treasury to overhaul the pensions department and implement tighter controls, especially regarding mobile money payments and internal vetting of staff.
The use of family members’ names to register financial channels for corruption is not new, but the EACC says it is stepping up collaboration with mobile money providers to trace suspicious transactions faster.
