A Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) compliance officer has been charged before the Kisumu Anti-Corruption Court for allegedly soliciting and receiving a Ksh 500,000 bribe to “assist” a secondary school with its tax filings.
Evans Agumba Oriato, based at the KRA offices in Kisumu, was arraigned after investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) linked him to a bribery scheme involving Jane Memorial Secondary School.
According to EACC, the matter began when the complainant reported that Oriato had summoned them to his office to discuss the school’s tax returns for the years 2016–2020.
On December 31, 2021, he allegedly demanded Ksh 1 million to resolve supposed filing irregularities and received an initial payment of Ksh 500,000, with the rest to follow upon “completion” of the process.
EACC reports that Oriato continued to pressure the complainant for the balance, prompting them to file a complaint with the Commission’s Western Regional Office in Kisumu.
Detectives subsequently launched an operation in which the officer was arrested while allegedly receiving Ksh 250,000 during a controlled meeting.
He was processed at EACC’s Kisumu offices and initially released on a cash bail of Ksh 100,000 as investigations continued.
Once the probe was completed, the file was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved charges.
Oriato was later summoned on November 12, 2025, booked at Railways Police Station in Kisumu, and held overnight ahead of his arraignment.
In court, he faced three counts of receiving a bribe contrary to Section 6(1), as read with Section 18(1) and (2) of the Anti-Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.
He pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of Ksh 500,000 with a surety of the same amount.
EACC says the operation forms part of a sustained nationwide crackdown targeting bribery and extortion at public service points to ensure citizens receive services without coercion or illegal demands.
By Andrew Kariuki
