RUTO says police cannot resist bribe offers and accuses Kenyan civilians of fuelling corruption

Friday, August 30, 2024 - President William Ruto has admitted there is endemic corruption in the country, especially at the National Police Service (NPS).

Speaking on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Kisumu, the head of state said there is a lot of corruption at NPS but accused the Kenyan citizens of fueling graft within the police force.

Ruto said civilians who dish out money to the officers for favours or to avoid arrests should be blamed for the increased corruption.

He argued that police officers, being human, may sometimes struggle to resist the temptation to collect bribes, and therefore it should not be entirely their fault.

“There is serious impunity and this is something we must deal with as Kenyans. There are people who actively induce policemen with money. I think it is time that we as Kenyans stopped the culture of bribing the police,” he said.

“Because sometimes policemen cannot resist the offers and advances made to them. We must deal with this corruption thing from all angles.”

He added: “We must make sure we take action on police who ask for the money and Kenyans who give money must also be told they are part of the problem and I don’t know who is going to tell them. 

"We need to tell ourselves to stop that culture.”

The Kenyan DAILY POST