A Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officer is facing charges in Kisumu after being accused of demanding and receiving a bribe to help a school with its tax returns.
According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Evans Agumba Oriato, who serves as a Compliance Officer at the KRA office in Kisumu, allegedly received a total of Kes 500,000 from officials of Jane Memorial Secondary School.
The money was reportedly meant to help the school file tax returns for the years 2016 to 2020.
Investigations by the EACC revealed that the officer approached the school claiming there were irregularities in its previous tax filings. He allegedly promised to help resolve the issue by filing nil returns, but only if the school paid him a substantial amount.
The complainant told investigators that Mr. Oriato had summoned them to his office to discuss the matter and later demanded Kes 1 million to settle the issue.
The school reportedly made a down payment of Kes 500,000 with the promise to pay the balance once the process was complete.
However, the suspect continued to demand the remaining amount, which made the complainant suspicious. The school officials decided to report the matter to the EACC’s Western Regional Office in Kisumu.
Acting swiftly on the complaint, EACC officers set up a sting operation that led to the arrest of the KRA officer while he was allegedly receiving an additional Kes 250,000.
He was taken to the EACC offices for questioning and later released on a cash bail of Kes 100,000 pending further action.
After completing their investigations, the EACC forwarded the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Upon review, the DPP agreed that there was sufficient evidence to support criminal charges.
The suspect was then summoned and detained overnight at Railways Police Station in Kisumu before being presented in court.
In court, Mr. Oriato faced three counts of receiving a bribe contrary to Section 6(1) as read with Section 18(1) and (2) of the Anti-Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was granted bond of Kes 500,000 with a surety of a similar amount.
The EACC said the case is part of a wider national campaign targeting corruption in government institutions, especially those dealing directly with public services. The agency emphasized that bribery at public offices denies Kenyans fair access to government services and vowed to continue arresting officers who misuse their positions for personal gain.
