Nairobi — A Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced Police Inspector Susan Muiruri to two years in prison after she was found guilty of soliciting and receiving a Sh10,000 bribe to unlawfully facilitate the release of two suspects from police custody.

In a ruling delivered by Principal Magistrate Isabellah Barasa, she was additionally given an alternative Sh550,000 fine.

The court convicted Muiruri on two counts of receiving a bribe, in violation of Section 6(1)(a) as read with Section 18 of the Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.

While delivering the verdict magistrate Barasa emphasized that such acts erode public trust in law enforcement and must be met with strict consequences.

"The accused, in her capacity as a police officer, violated the very principles of justice she was sworn to uphold," Barasa stated.

The court heard that on April 25, 2021, at Kasarani Police Station in Nairobi, Inspector Muiruri, an officer of the National Police Service (NPS), solicited and received a Sh10,000 bribe from Donald Odhiambo Okumu in exchange for securing the unlawful release of Juma Olunga Wakhayanga and Pamela Kajuju from police custody.

Muiruri's sentencing comes at a time when Kenya's anti-corruption agencies are intensifying efforts to deal with graft within law enforcement.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has in recent years investigated multiple cases involving police officers accused of bribery, abuse of office, and other corrupt dealings.

According to the EACC's 2023 Corruption Perception Report, the National Police Service remains one of the most bribery-prone institutions in Kenya, with officers frequently accused of demanding kickbacks to provide services or obstruct justice.

Meanwhile, the National Police Service is expected to take disciplinary action, with internal investigations likely to determine whether further sanctions, including dismissal, will be imposed.