Two court employees in Eldoret and Nakuru have been arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over separate allegations of demanding and receiving bribes to influence court services.
In Eldoret, Court Assistant Linet Okungu was arrested on September 8 after allegedly receiving Sh20,000, which the EACC said was part of a Sh50,000 bribe sought to help secure a court order stopping the auction of a parcel of land.
The arrest followed a complaint from a court user who alleged that a Magistrate had demanded Sh50,000 to facilitate the stay order in a matter pending before the court.
EACC said Okungu was processed at Eldoret Police Station and later released on a cash bail of Sh20,000 as investigations continue.
In a separate case in Nakuru, the anti-corruption agency arrested court process server Benard Ngeno, who is attached to the Civil Registry at Nakuru Law Courts.
Ngeno is accused of soliciting and receiving a bribe in exchange for helping a complainant secure a convenient mention date for a case.
He was taken to the EACC South Rift Regional Office in Nakuru for processing before being released on a cash bail of Sh5,000 pending completion of investigations.
The two cases involve separate court employees and relate to attempts to influence access to court services, with the Eldoret complaint centred on an application to stop a land auction and the Nakuru case involving the scheduling of a court mention.
The arrests form part of the EACC's ongoing efforts to address bribery and other forms of corruption at public service delivery points.
The commission said the arrests demonstrate its “commitment to tackling bribery and other forms of corruption at service delivery points” and enhancing the quality of public services for all citizens.
Both suspects remain out on cash bail as investigators continue with the cases.
The allegations against the two court employees have not been proven, and the EACC has not said whether the investigations will result in criminal charges.