Just a month after Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, issued a stern warning to police officers against engaging in bribery, a traffic officer in Mombasa was captured live on camera soliciting a bribe.
The officer, stationed at Nyali Police Station, was filmed at the well-known Kongowea stage, where he appeared to take his time negotiating with a matatu driver.
This incident adds to a growing list of similar cases involving police officers in Mombasa, with residents, as well as tuk-tuk and matatu operators, raising concerns over rising extortion activities.
The mounting cases of bribery come in stark contrast to recent calls by senior police officials for the service to uphold integrity and professionalism in its dealings with the public.
In March, during the official launch of Mbaraki Police Station in Mombasa, Inspector General Kanja reiterated that officers must remain content with their salaries, however modest, and focus on executing their duties lawfully.
“We must abandon the culture of small bribes and be satisfied with the salaries we receive, however little they may be,” Kanja said, maintaining that corruption erodes public trust in the police force.
