EACC arrests Bulla Mzuri Location Chief in Garissa County for extorting refugees

A Chief in Garisa County has been arrested for extortion of money from refugees seeking services from his office.

Abdirahman Shafe Yussuf of Bulla Mzuri Location was caught in the act during an operation mounted by EACC Garisa Regional Office last week following an inquiry into numerous complaints from victims.

The Chief had reportedly become notorious for bribe demands in an ongoing de-registration of fingerprints from the United Nations for High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) system. Before permitting the process, he allegedly required every service seeker to pay him Kes3,000 as “consultation fee” and a further Kes10,000 as “facilitation fee” despite the service being free of charge.

Before the EACC intervention, all service seekers were required to first pay, as a mandatory condition, the illegal charges to his accomplice, a Clerk operating from Motor Vehicle Registration Number KCY 656W (White Probox) parked outside the Vetting hall.

During the operation, the Commission recovered from the Chief Kes139,000 believed to be part of the day’s collection and a list of 85 double registered applicants indicating the amount paid by each.

The suspect was processed at EACC Garissa Regional Office and freed on police bond pending finalization of the probe.