EACC arrests Kericho land survey chief for extortion in land deal

Ismail Kipngeno Koskei, Head of Land Survey for Kericho County Government, has been arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi confirmed that Koskei was apprehended after allegedly demanding Ksh 200,000 from a member of the public to facilitate a land transaction.

The complainant’s plot, registered in the name of their deceased mother, had been incorrectly merged with Brooke Market County Council of Kipsigis.

Although the Land Survey office had separated the plot from Brooke Market, Koskei insisted on a Ksh 200,000 bribe as a prerequisite for releasing the new title deed.

Koskei was arrested in his Kericho office after he received KSh 100,000 as an initial deposit of the bribe. He has been taken to the EACC South Rift Regional Offices in Nakuru, where he recorded a statement, and is currently detained at Nakuru Central Police Station.

The complainant, a resident of Anaibkoi Sub-County, reported the incident to EACC after refusing to comply with the bribe demands.

This case highlights a troubling pattern of corruption among land officials across the country.

EACC is ramping up enforcement against such corrupt practices and encourages the public to report similar instances.