The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) says 24 imposters have been reported in Kitui, Machakos and Makueni Counties in the last three months.
While speaking in Diani, Kwale County, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi said the Commission is experiencing a challenge of an increasing number of imposters who are defrauding unsuspecting public officials and innocent business operators.
“The Commission is experiencing a challenge of an increasing number of imposters who are defrauding unsuspecting public officials and innocent business operators pretending to be officials of the EACC or other law enforcement agencies undertaking lawful investigative operations,” Ngumbi said.
“The problem has now found its way into Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties with 24 cases of imposters having been reported from the region in the last three months.”
This comes ahead of a ruling on a bail application by five individuals, including a police officer, who were arrested while allegedly conducting a fake search operation at the residence of a senior county official, pretending to be EACC Detectives.
The four were charged with impersonating EACC investigators, conspiracy to commit a felony, abducting with intent to confine, forgery, uttering a false document, attempts to extort by threats, and being in possession of suspected stolen property.
Allegations relate to the impersonation of EACC officers by the accused persons on July 19, 2024, in Kitui with a common intention to extort Roselyn Kavata Mwasia, the Kitui County Director of Revenue.
“The five EACC imposters in Kitui had “arrested” a senior Kitui County Official and undertook a search operation in her residence, armed with a fake search warrant purportedly issued by the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court,” Ngumbi said.
“In the Lower Eastern Region, the fraudsters conning people have largely been pretending to be from EACC Lower Eastern Regional Office in Machakos or Nairobi Headquarters.”
EACC reveals main targets
Ngumbi says the imposters have been targeting county officials, school principals and national government administration officers, demanding to be given money so that they stop their alleged investigations.
“For school principals, the imposters focus on allegations of illegal fees charges, procurement and financial management issues. For Counties, they target officials working in revenue collection while for the national government administration officers, the fraudsters focus on alleged corruption in administration,” Ngumbi says.
EACC has called on Kenyans who encounter suspicious persons to notify EACC and avoid succumbing to the fraudulent traps.
“The commission is surprised at the high level of readiness with which most Kenyans are willing to bribe their way out of perceived trouble. Even in cases where victims of these fraudsters can contact easily EACC and verify the authenticity of persons claiming to be its officers, some of the victims have been quick in initiating a settlement with the imposters leading to extortion of huge sums of money,” Ngumbi added.
Ngumbi says the actions reveal that some of the persons targeted by the imposters are involved in corruption or other wrongdoing.
