NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two Judiciary staff members in Eldoret and Nakuru over separate allegations of soliciting and receiving bribes in connection with court services.
The arrests were made in separate operations on September 8, 2026, as the anti-corruption agency intensified efforts to tackle bribery at public service delivery points.
EACC said one suspect, a court assistant attached to a Magistrate’s Court in Eldoret, was arrested after allegedly receiving Sh20,000 in connection with a request to facilitate a stay order stopping the auction of a parcel of land.
The second suspect, a court process server attached to the Nakuru Law Courts Civil Registry, was arrested over allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe to secure a convenient mention date for a case.
Eldoret court assistant arrested over Sh20,000
EACC identified the Eldoret suspect as Linet Okungu, a Court Assistant attached to a Magistrate’s Court.
According to the commission, Okungu was arrested on September 8 after allegedly receiving Sh20,000.
EACC said the money formed part of a larger bribe allegedly sought to facilitate the issuance of a stay order to prevent the auction of a parcel of land in a case pending before the court.
The investigation followed a complaint from a court user who alleged that a Magistrate had demanded Sh50,000 to secure the stay order.
EACC said its officers subsequently arrested Okungu after she allegedly received the Sh20,000.
The suspect was processed at Eldoret Police Station and later released on a Sh20,000 cash bail pending completion of investigations.
The commission has not established through a court finding that the alleged bribe was successfully used to influence the judicial process.
Nakuru process server arrested
In a separate operation in Nakuru, EACC arrested Benard Ngeno, a court process server attached to the Nakuru Law Courts Civil Registry.
The commission said Ngeno was allegedly involved in soliciting and receiving a bribe in exchange for allocating a convenient mention date for a complainant’s case.
Following his arrest, Ngeno was escorted to the EACC South Rift Regional Office in Nakuru for processing.
He was subsequently released on a Sh5,000 cash bail pending the conclusion of investigations.
As with the Eldoret case, the allegations against Ngeno remain unproven.
EACC targets corruption in court services
EACC has maintained that corruption at such service points can undermine public confidence in institutions and make access to justice more difficult, particularly for people who may feel pressured to make unofficial payments to obtain services.
The agency said the two operations demonstrate its commitment to tackling bribery and other forms of corruption affecting service delivery.
Investigations continue
EACC said investigations into both incidents are continuing.
The agency is expected to gather evidence concerning the alleged transactions, communications between the suspects and complainants, and the court matters connected to the investigations.
EACC steps up anti-bribery enforcement
The commission’s latest operations come amid continued efforts to address corruption in public institutions and improve accountability in service delivery.
EACC said it would continue pursuing cases involving bribery and other forms of corruption at service delivery points.
The two arrests in Eldoret and Nakuru now leave investigators with the task of establishing the full circumstances surrounding the alleged payments and determining whether further action should follow.
