Land Registrar Nabbed After Demanding Ksh10,000 ‘Release Fees’
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a senior Busia Land officialfor allegedly asking and taking a bribe from a local resident.
The official was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after demanding and pocketing Ksh10,000 from a local to before releasing a title deed that had already been processed. According to the commission, the official referred to the bribe as “release fees.”
The arrest was carried out by EACC officers from Western Regional Office following weeks of investigations after several Busia residents raised multiple complaints.
The anti-graft agency also revealed that the culprit had a tendency of withholding processed title deeds and demanding bribes before releasing them.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), through its Western Regional Office, on Tuesday afternoon arrested Busia Land Registrar (name withheld), who demanded and received a bribe of Ksh10,000 from the complainant in order to release a title deed he had processed but withheld pending payment of the bribe as ‘release fees.’” Read part of the EACC statement.
After his arrest, the official was taken to the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma for processing. He was later booked at Bungoma Police Station.
EACC added that the operation was part of its ongoing crackdown onbribery in key public service offices across the country.
The commission further assured citizens that it will intensify surveillance and intelligence gathering in land offices and other critical departments to protect Kenyans from corrupt practices that deny them timely and affordable access to services.
Meanwhile, in a separate but related incident, on August 7, EACC raided the offices and residences of six senior officials of Busia County in a Ksh1.4 billion tender probe.
The operation was part of an ongoing investigation into irregular procurement practices, conflicts of interest, theft of public funds, and accumulation of unexplained wealth against the six officials.
The probe centred on tenders valued at Ksh1.4 billion that were allegedly awarded to 26 proxy companies during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
These companies are believed to be operated by relatives and close associates of thecounty officials under investigation.