EACC arrests two Mbita judicial officers over bribery

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two judicial officers for allegedly demanding a bribe to expedite the retrieval of a case file.

Their arrest comes just days after Chief Justice Martha Koome announced a collaboration between the Judiciary, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the EACC to combat corruption within the justice system.

In a statement, the EACC confirmed that the two suspects, Jared Nyauncho, a Senior Court Assistant, and David Tunya, a Customer Care Officer, were taken into custody on Wednesday, March 26.

The two suspects are alleged to have solicited a Sh5,000 bribe from a court user at the Mbita Law Courts.

According to the EACC, investigations were launched after the agency received a corruption complaint on March 24.

The complaint alleged that a Senior Court Assistant at Mbita Law Courts was demanding a bribe to facilitate the retrieval of a succession case file from the court registry.

The complainant, who had made several unsuccessful attempts to access the file, eventually gave in and paid the bribe but later reported the matter to the EACC.

Investigators revealed that the Customer Care Officer allegedly received the Sh5,000 on behalf of the Senior Court Assistant.

"The commission conducted an operation that resulted in the arrest of a customer care officer who accepted a bribe of Sh5,000 on behalf of the Senior Court Assistant," said EACC in a statement.

The two suspects were apprehended and taken to Mbita Police Station for processing before being released on a cash bail of Sh20,000 as investigations continue.

The arrest comes as CJ Koome on Tuesday acknowledged that the judiciary is facing heightened public scrutiny. In response, she issued directives aimed at restoring confidence in the institution.

To tackle corruption within the judicial system, Koome announced plans to collaborate with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in weeding out graft.

Chief Justice Koome stated that the Judiciary is shifting from a purely complaint-driven approach to an intelligence-led strategy, working in close partnership with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

She reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to integrity, emphasizing that it remains a corruption-free zone.

“We have implemented a strict zero-tolerance policy on corruption and are fully committed to enforcing it without bias or hesitation,” she asserted.