The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officer accused of demanding Ksh18,000 from a matatu driver to facilitate the issuance of a driving licence.
The officer was arrested on Wednesday at NTSA headquarters in Nairobi after the commission investigated a complaint filed by the driver.
According to the EACC, the officer was caught receiving Ksh8,000, which was part of the alleged bribe.
The driver had reported that the officer demanded Ksh18,000 to help him obtain the licence.
Following the arrest, the suspect was taken to the EACC’s Integrity Centre for processing before being released on a cash bail of Ksh50,000 as investigations continue.
The commission noted its continued dedication to tackling bribery at the public service offices where people go to access government services.
Further, it noted that fighting corruption was necessary for the restoration of public trust and provision of quality services to Kenyans without having to offer illegal payments.
NTSA Already Under Investigation For Past Corruption Charges
This arrest comes as part of the previous allegations concerning corruption charges against public officers in the transport industry including those responsible for vehicle registration and other NTSA services.
The Kenya National Gender and Corruption Survey 2025 ranked NTSA officers among public officials reported to receive bribes. The average payment associated with NTSA officers was reported at Ksh3,868.
Protests against the NTSA were carried out outside its headquarters in October 2025, over issues of road safety and alleged corruption in the transport sector.
These protests were spearheaded by the Road Safety Association of Kenya, which demanded punitive measures against the corrupt officials.
Moreover, NTSA is one of the agencies whose operations have been investigated regarding the cases of vehicle registration fraud.
For instance, 11 individuals were arrested by DCI detectives in October 2023 over suspicious motor vehicle registrations via the agency’s Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS).
These arrests were made following an investigation following a system audit conducted after the discovery of 47 vehicles that had their chassis altered and 54 others that were fraudulently included in the TIMS in March and April 2023.
The latest arrest adds to scrutiny of corruption risks in the transport sector as the EACC continues investigating the allegations against the NTSA officer.