The arrest of a senior police officer in Nairobi over bribery claims has opened the lid on what had previously been discussed in hushed tones for fear of retribution and revenge.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption (EACC) sleuths seized the police boss who had sent his officers to arrest revellers at a club with a view to extort them. Once they had been locked up at the station, each was required to give out a bribe of Sh5,000 to gain their freedom.

Though the Kayole incident may have gone viral because of the action taken by EACC detectives, such incidents have become the standard practice in all police stations across the country.

Stories abound of junior officers being dispatched by their respective Officers Commanding Stations (OCS) to arrest and detain anybody within their vicinity for extortion.

Individuals are arrested and locked up over flimsy issues such as drunk and disorderly, loitering, obstruction (for drivers and motorcyclists), public nuisance, drinking outside stipulated times until they pay the bribes to earn their freedom.

There are special vehicles assigned some officers to move around, mostly in the evenings, collecting money from bars and business premises ostensibly for protection.

We encourage that promotion of police officers should be transparent and done strictly on merit. The alarming cases of police suicide is an indication that comprehensive, rather than piecemeal, reform is required.

This must include review of terms and conditions of work, training, promotion, mental and physical health and equipment.

Among the individuals who have fallen victim to our rogue officers’ extortion behaviour is none other than Head of Public Service and Chief of Staff Felix Koskei who was forced to part with some unspecified amount of money for a non-existent traffic offence.

Even IG Japheth Koome has publicly confessed of having kicked out an officer who had gone to his office to share with him some of the loot earned from extorting poor Kenyans.

It is for these reasons that we are calling on Koome to rein in his officers who have gone on the rampage, extorting Kenyans instead of offering them protection and security even as we celebrate the professional and men and men in uniform.