Members of the public who include the Business Community in Murang'a County have decried police corruption as among poverty drivers in the region.

Some bar owners who sought anonymity for fear of victimisation, told us that police demand between Sh500 and Sh1,000 per week from them.

"The cash is purely extortion and has no official receipt. They demand Sh200 on Tuesdays and Sh300 on Fridays from small towns while in major towns, they demand Sh500 every Tuesday and similar amount on Fridays," the source said.

Even after receiving the cash that they collect using official patrol vehicles, the officers further ambush the bars and make arrests.

"They arrest workers or the owners and demand release bribes ranging from Sh10,000 and Sh30,000. They also demand a further Sh2000 for a crate of beer confiscated in the raids... They sell us our own beer imagine!" said the source.

This is besides the numerous raids they make in villages and estates and proceed to demand bribes to release them from police cells.

The arrests for justice sale transforms the villages into harambee zones as relatives fundraise to raise the bribes, some selling harvests and livestock at throwaway prices to afford the dirty cash for security officers.

Calls are now being made that institutions mandated to oversight, apprehend and discipline corruption, pitch camp in the area to reverse runaway cases of extortion, bribery and monetized blackmail.

The state of affairs is said to be behind cases of anarchy that has sprouted in the county with residents taking the law in their own hands owing to contempt and disregard for the due process.

The issue is said to be behind the comeback of illicit brews in registered bars as police concentrate on cutting deals to look the other way as patrons partake all manner of life threatening concoctions packaged as liquor for public consumption.

Recently, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua toured Gatanga constituency where he paraded Murang'a County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha over return of illicit brews in the area.

Gatanga, Ithanga Kakuzi, and Murang'a South are the most notorious sub-counties in brewing and distribution of illicit brews.

Some of the distilleries in Murang'a South have been reported to the authorities, but have been allowed to continue operating right under security noses.

"We brought you here because you have a proven track record in fighting illicit brews, but things are not going well here. I have networks around and I know there is your officer who has died of illicit brews," DP Gachagua told Mr Nkanatha.

He wondered how safe area people are if an assistant chief expected to fight illicit brews is dying of the same brews.

"You must do something to battle that issue," he ordered.

As the law enforcement is perceived to be dining, wining and sleeping with moneyed outlaws, theft of crop and livestock has sharply gone up with practically no action plan publicly declared by the area security managers.

Cases of murders continue to erupt, some so bold where gangs raid police stations, chase police away into nearby bushes and plantations and proceed to pluck suspects from legal custody and lynch them inside the stations.

It is only recently that residents of Gachocho village in Kigumo constituency raided their police patrol base where a murder suspect was being held, fought armed officers and proceeded to lynch the suspect.

A week later, residents of Karung'e village in Mathioya Sub-County raided their police patrol base, chased away armed officers and proceeded to break into the cells in search of a murder suspect who fortunately had been transferred to another secure station hence averting another murder similar to that of Gachocho.

Cases of public lynching have gone up especially in Kiharu constituency which has two sub-counties--Kahuro and Murang'a East.

The only area politicians who have been bold enough to speak out against security excesses is Maragua Member of Parliament Mary wa Maua and her Kigumo counterpart Joseph Munyoro.

Mr Munyoro recently lamented of runaway crime in Kigumo Sub-County where gangs have even been sodomizing victims to death.

Ms Wamaua has raided police stations calling out ineptitude and excesses, vowing to ensure area people's dignity is not trashed by rogue officers.

"You do not get posted to provide security to Maragua people and then you become a security problem. I will call you out and if need be, table you in Parliament like a Bill so that your bad conduct can be discussed," Ms Wamaua said.

Another blatant abuse of policing standing orders happened recently in Murang'a town when police officers arrested a debtor who was being pursued by shylocks and locked him in the cells for three(3) days.

Police officers are not mandated by any law to act as auctioneers or debt collectors, Murang'a East Police Boss Mary Wakuu refusing to commit herself on ensuring the issue is probed and remedial legal action taken.

She said she will look into the incident and make necessary interventions to avert recurrence.

The victim's lawyer, Mr Simon Kuria, said "we are pursuing legal action against the Attorney General for illegal confinement in a police station over an issue police have no jurisdiction and above all, holding my client for over the stipulated 24 hours".

Shylocking is not covered by law and it is an illegal enterprise in the country as per the Central Bank Act.

Cases of administrators colluding with brokers, developers and rogue lawyers to disinherit families of their estates have also been on the rise in Murang'a.