The Increasing Sophistication Of Kenyan Police Bribes

November 15, 2013 in Daily Bulletin

kenyan cell phone

The good side to this story is that detectives are cracking down on Kenyan police bribery. But the police aren’t taking this lying down.

  • In the ‘old days’, police would stop a vehicle and ask to see paperwork. The driver would either fold a note into their driving licence for inspection, or drop a tightly scrunched note onto the floor to be picked up later.
  • In either case, the money would be stashed by the officer somewhere secret and taken home at the end of the day.
  • Truckers in particular regularly broke traffic regulations. Police could expect to receive between US $5 and $175 a day in bribes
  • Kenyan detectives have cracked down on bribery. In response, Kenyan police now receive bribes through money transfers on their cell phones. If the people coming past the roadblock are regulars, this can be arranged.
  • Money transfers on cell phones can be traced, as the sender has to provide national identity. Brokers have sprung up to act as intermediaries between the bribed and the bribers.
  • Between January and May, 35% of those arrested on charges of corruption were police.

The full story can be found over here

Source: Balancing Act Africa

Via: Marginal Revolution