The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Kenya investigated 50 cases of alleged corruption and forwarded them to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) between July and September 2026. Among the cases, 39 involved allegations of bribery and forgery of academic certificates. The EACC recommended prosecution in 43 cases, administrative or other action in one, and closure in six.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concurred with the EACC's recommendations to prosecute in 10 cases, returned 14 files for further investigation, and left 24 cases awaiting advice. Four cases had already been taken to court. One of the cases involved a police officer attached to Sarang'ombe Police Post, who allegedly demanded Sh4,000 from a woman to facilitate the arrest of suspects accused of defiling her daughter.
Investigations by the EACC established that the police officer and a private security guard, George Otieno Oywer, requested and received Sh2,000. The file was forwarded to the ODPP. In another case, a principal magistrate at Kangema Law Courts, Martin Kinyua Mutegi, and a senior probation officer, Julius Irungu Njogu, are accused of demanding Sh170,000 from a person facing a criminal case in exchange for a favourable judgment.
The EACC established that the magistrate and the probation officer requested and received Sh150,000. The commission recommended four counts of receiving a bribe against the two, and the DPP concurred in July. The accused duo was taken to court. Other investigations exposed alleged bribery involving public services, including a civil registration officer at Holo office in Kisumu West Sub-County who was accused of demanding and receiving Sh2,000 to fast-track the issuance of a birth certificate.
At Kenya Power, an accountant was investigated for allegedly demanding Sh200,000 to manipulate a customer’s electricity account. The complainant had received messages requiring her to pay Sh346,990 in accumulated bills, which she considered erroneous. The accountant allegedly requested Sh180,000 but ultimately received Sh50,000, with the intention of reconciling the account to reflect a credit rather than outstanding arrears.
The EACC also investigated cases of public employees who allegedly presented forged academic qualifications to obtain jobs, appointments, or promotions. One case involved a former employee of Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), who secured employment as a waiter or food server using a forged certificate in Hospitality Management.
The former KUTRRH employee was appointed on a five-year contract signed in June 2020 and was dismissed following disciplinary proceedings. Investigations found that he had fraudulently earned Sh676,909 between August 2020 and February 2022. He was charged on September 3. Similar cases were reported in Taita Taveta County, Homa Bay County, and at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Key points
- The EACC investigated 50 cases of alleged corruption between July and September 2026.
- 39 of the 50 investigation files involved allegations of bribery and forgery of academic certificates.
- The EACC recommended prosecution in 43 cases, administrative or other action in one, and closure in six.
