Standard Journalist in Trouble With Police Officers For Trying To Expose Corruption!

So get this, Standard Group had sent a crew out to cover an investigative story on traffic officers collecting bribes along Nakuru-Eldama Ravine road but an unfortunate twist of events transpired and the crew were accosted by policemen.

The team was secretly recording the traffic officers collecting bribes from motorists at Gioto dump site roadblock when they were pounced on. It is reported that one of the errant, nay, corrupt police officers was heard saying, “We have spotted them and they are trying to escape. They are journalists,”  as he gave out the number plate of our vehicle. A private vehicle KBN 024 G with plain clothe officers arrived at the scene and pursued the journalists, but later lost track of the team. Sounds like Need For speed tings going on!

However, when the reporters returned using a different vehicle the traffic officers had left the scene.

Last weekend, traffic police officers from Nakuru impounded more than 100 vehicles plying the route after The Standard published an exclusive story on corruption along the road.

Following our expose, the police officers now man road block in two groups. There are those in uniform manning the road while collecting bribes and others in plain clothes who stay away from the public eye and whose role is to alert those in uniform of any suspicious people in the surrounding.

The officers in plain clothes monitor any suspicious vehicles stopping near the uniformed colleagues.

Following the publication of the story Nakuru traffic base Commandant Richard Leporuya and two plain clothes officers visited our officers situated at Merica Hotel, Nakuru and defended his officers of any wrong doing.

Although during a telephone interview he acknowledged the existence of corruption tendencies among traffic police officers who reportedly demand bribes from motorists at roadblocks.

Matatu operators had accused senior officers from Nakuru Police Traffic Department of allegedly turning a blind eye on their corrupt colleagues.

All this comes hot on the heels of Mohamed Ali being harrassed by security agents. Read about that mess here.

Source: Standard Media Team and Trending in Kenya.