Two senior Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) employees have been arrested at the Mombasa port for allegedly soliciting bribes to expedite cargo clearance.
Thomas Kiprotich Karubee, Head of Verification at the KRA Regional Container Freight Station at Mombasa Port, requested a bribe of Ksh.200,000 in order to clear and release a container from Scotland.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the container contained second hand household goods and electronics with a declared value of Kshs.1,100,000.
“The complainant had paid all taxes due amounting to over Kshs. 500,000 but the KRA Official insisted that he could not clear and release the container unless the bribe was paid. This prompted the complainant to seek intervention from EACC,” read the EACC statement in part.
EACC detectives in the Coast area planned an ambush on the KRA officer while receiving Ksh.110,000 as part of the bribe.
Kiprotich was apprehended alongside Mr. Daniel Kimonge, an Inspections Officer at the Kenya Bureau of Standards, who had also requested and received Ksh.20,000 to return a favorable report and clear the cargo.
