Guns fired as EACC detectives arrest traffic police officers who collected 15K bribes in one hour

A dramatic incident on Thursday unfolded on the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu Road as detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested three traffic police officers for soliciting bribes along the busy route.

The three officers, Corporal James Njeru and Police Constables Dickson Njagi and James Mwai are said to have solicited Ksh.15,000 from motorists in an hour, before their dramatic arrest which saw the rogue cops fire in the air.

Citizen Digital has since obtained body cam footage from an EACC detective documenting the straight-out-of-a-movie arrest.

In the video, EACC detectives are seen in a vehicle heading towards the rogue detectives after conducting due reconnaissance and confirming their suspicions.

The EACC detective then uses the vehicle's door to hit one of the officers, leaving him sprawling on the ground. He then pounces on the traffic officer and identifies himself as an EACC detective before seemingly cuffing the rogue cop.

As the EACC detective does this, his colleagues chase after the two other traffic officers who opted to flee rather than engage the sleuths.

In the ensuing melee, one of the traffic officers fired in the air before he and his partner were finally subdued.

A source at EACC told Citizen Digital that the anti-graft watchdog launched the operation after receiving numerous complaints from motorists plying the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu route.

"During the operation, a scuffle ensued when two other police officers resisted arrest and escaped into the nearby bushes aided by one who was firing at EACC detectives who were pursuing them," said the EACC source.

"During the scuffle and shooting, the two fugitive police officers took away some of the money that had been recovered by EACC detectives amounting to about Ksh.15,000 collected in one hour."

Following their arrest, the three officers were escorted to Integrity Police Station at EACC headquarters to record statements.

They are currently being held at Kilimani Police Station pending arraignment. 

EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak has since urged Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to disarm all traffic police officers across the country on grounds that some rogue traffic police officers are using state-issued firearms to confront EACC detectives when they are caught soliciting bribes on roads.