The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested an immigration officer accused of asking for a Ksh20,000 bribe to help a Kenyan get a passport processed faster.
The officer, who works under the State Department for Immigration, Border Control and Citizen Services, was arrested in Mombasa after a complaint was made at the EACC’s Lower Coast Regional Office.
According to the commission, the officer allegedly asked for the money to speed up the processing of the complainant’s fingerprints and passport application.
Investigations by EACC established that the officer had allegedly agreed to receive Ksh20,000 in connection with the application.
The commission then set up an operation that led to the officer’s arrest after the alleged bribery transaction was established.
“The suspect was arrested on a complaint filed at the Lower Coast Regional Office of the Commission in Mombasa,” EACC stated.
The officer was arraigned at the Central Police Station in Mombasa, where the case was filed.
The officer was released on a Ksh20,000 cash bond pending investigation.”
EACC said it is still looking into the matter to establish what exactly happened and whether other people were involved.
The arrest comes amid continued concerns over bribery in government offices, particularly at points where Kenyans go to access essential services and documents.
The Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 listed immigration officers among public officials associated with notable bribe payments. The average bribe reported in dealings with immigration officers was Ksh12,102.
Magistrates recorded the highest average bribe amount at Ksh164,367, followed by land registry officers at Ksh17,996 and elected county government representatives at Ksh13,038.
The latest case also comes months after detectives arrested 26 people, including civil servants, over an alleged network involved in the illegal processing and issuance of government documents.
The network was accused of helping people obtain passports, National Identification Cards, birth certificates and alien identification cards outside the official procedures.
Investigators recovered various government documents and registration materials during that operation.