Kericho land survey head arrested in his office with wads of cash amid corruption crackdown

Ismail Kipngeno Koskei, the head of land survey for Kericho County, has been detained by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The anti-graft body says Koskeo was arrested for soliciting a Ksh200,000 bribe to facilitate a land transaction.

“Koskei was apprehended by EACC detectives after demanding Kes.200,000 from a member of the public to facilitate a land transaction,” EACC said in a post on X on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

According to EACC, the complainant, whose plot was incorrectly merged with Brooke Market County Council of Kipsigis, was informed by the land survey office that their land needed to be separated from the council’s records.

The anti-graft body noted that despite making the correction, Koskei insisted on a Ksh200,000 bribe to release the updated land title.

“The complainant’s plot, registered in the name of their late mother, had been incorrectly combined with Brooke Market County Council of Kipsigis. The Land Survey office separated the plot from Brooke Market, but the suspect insisted on a Kes.200,000 bribe to release the new title,” EACC said.

EACC detectives arrested Koskei at his office in Kericho.

The commission said the suspect was apprehended after he accepted Ksh100,000 as an initial payment towards the bribe.

He was subsequently taken to the EACC South Rift Regional Offices in Nakuru for questioning and is currently held at Nakuru Central Police Station.

The complainant, a resident of Anaibkoi Sub-County, chose to report the corruption rather than comply with the bribe demands, seeking assistance from the EACC.

This incident highlights the broader issue of bribery among land officials in Kenya, a problem that has prompted the Commission to strengthen its crackdown on corruption in land services.

The EACC continues to urge the public to report any instances of bribery or corruption they encounter in their dealings with land officials.

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