The National Assembly Administration and Security Committee is considering the Bribery Amendment Bill that seeks to commission police uniforms without pockets and install CCTV cameras to monitor the behaviour of traffic police officers.
The Bill sponsored by Bomachoge Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo also seeks to create a visual record of interactions between law enforcement officers and the public.
This Bill will allow the deployment of cameras on roads, intensifying policing and enhancing accountability.
Speaking in Parliament Tuesday, Barongo noted the Bill’s objective is to amend the Bribery Act, 2016 by inserting a new section 10(A) which highlights anti-bribery measures for the National Police Service.
“These measures include coordination of CCTV cameras in all areas where traffic police are situated, taking action against an officer accepting a bribe in the designated area, commissioning police uniforms that have no pockets and ensuring the CCTV cameras at designated traffic areas are maintained,” he noted.
Further, the Bill seeks to establish eight multi-agency command centres where CCTV footage from designated areas will be stored.
The command centres will be manned by officers nominated by the National Police Service and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
The Bribery Act provides a framework for preventing, investigating, and punishing bribery. The Act makes it mandatory for public and private entities to put in place measures for the prevention of corruption.
The scrutiny of proposed legislation by the Budget Committee marks a significant step toward enhancing fiscal alignment and legislative efficiency in Kenya.
An analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) shows that it will cost about Ksh 8 billion to install CCTV cameras in all designated traffic management areas across the country.
The Bill comes in the wake of rising cases of officers being scrutinised by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Recently, Police Officer No. 226374 Cpl Abdi Kiano based at Kahawa West Police Station in Nairobi was arrested for extortion.
In a statement, EACC said the officer had demanded and received the bribe from the businesswoman as ‘protection fees’ to allow her to operate the illegal business without interference.
“EACC has this evening arrested Police Officer No. 226374 Cpl Abdi Kiano based at Kahawa West Police Station in Nairobi for demanding and receiving a bribe from a local trader as “protection fees” to allow her to operate the business of selling illicit brew (chang’aa),” EACC said.
