Five individuals, including a Nairobi-based police officer, appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Elizabeth Karani in Kitui this evening. The accused, who were arrested in Kitui Town for conducting a fraudulent search operation at the residence of a senior county official, were released on a cash bail of Ksh 200,000 each or a bond of Ksh 400,000 with an assurity of the same amount.
As part of the bail conditions, the suspects are required to provide a copy of their original ID and a letter from their area chief. The case is set for a pre-trial mention on August 26, 2024.
The accused individuals—Ms. Anne Mutheu, a police officer attached to Muthangari Police Station in Nairobi, along with David Mbembe, Sheddy Kakai Kalusi, Permenus Kasamba, and Joseph Musembi—are facing multiple charges, including impersonating officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The group was apprehended while attempting to conduct a fake search operation at the residence of Ms. Roselyn Kavata, the Kitui County Director of Revenue. They are accused of posing as EACC detectives in an attempt to extort money from Ms. Kavata.
The charges against the five suspects include impersonation of EACC investigators, conspiracy to commit a felony, abduction with intent to confine, forgery, uttering a false document, attempts to extort by threats, and possession of suspected stolen property.
The alleged offenses are connected to a July 19, 2024, incident in Kitui, where the accused pretended to be conducting an official EACC operation at Ms. Kavata’s residence.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has reported a worrying rise in cases of fraudsters posing as EACC detectives in 2024. EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, speaking in Diani, Kwale County, revealed that the commission has received 300 cases of such impersonation this year alone.
These fraudsters have been targeting national and county government officials, school principals, and private business operators, demanding bribes in exchange for clearing them of nonexistent corruption cases. The arrest of the five suspects in Kitui highlights the growing problem, with the EACC warning that some of these criminals are even operating illegal offices in counties, falsely claiming to be affiliated with the commission.
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