The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a senior clerical officer at the Kericho County Lands Registry over allegations of receiving a bribe to process land documents.
According to the commission, Dallington Kipkurui Mutai was apprehended on Tuesday by officers from the South Rift Regional Office after he allegedly demanded and collected Sh210,000 from a resident.
The money was said to be a ‘facilitation fee’ for preparing title deeds for two parcels of land.
The arrest followed investigations triggered by complaints from Kericho residents who claimed the official had made it routine to demand bribes before initiating the issuance of title deeds.
EACC said the operation is part of an intensified crackdown on corruption in public service.
“The Commission will continue to scale up intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting public institutions that provide essential services and are prone to bribery,” a statement from the anti-graft agency reads in part.
Mutai was taken to Kericho Police Station, where he was processed before being released on a Sh50,000 cash bail.
He is expected to face charges once investigations are finalised.
The anti-graft agency has recently stepped up its operations across the country in an effort to improve access to public services and dismantle entrenched corruption networks.
Lands registries have been among the most scrutinised offices, with complaints ranging from bribery to document manipulation.
EACC has urged citizens to report cases of bribery, promising swift action to protect Kenyans from corrupt practices that hinder service delivery.
The commission emphasized that its ongoing surveillance will target officials who exploit their positions for personal gain.
This latest arrest adds to the growing list of public servants under investigation as the government intensifies efforts to weed out graft.
The crackdown aims to send a strong message that demanding kickbacks for services meant to be free will not be tolerated.
The arrest comes barely a week after EACC, through its Western Regional Office, arrested Busia Land Registrar Collins Aiela Liyayi, who demanded and received a bribe of Sh10,000 from the complainant in order to release a title deed he had processed but withheld pending payment of the bribe as ‘release fees’.