Police officers in Kapenguria, West Pokot county have arrested a village elder said to have been impersonating as an assistant chief of Mwotot sub location.
This is after he allegedly extorted residents in the name of helping them to process their births and death certificates.
A number of locals had recorded statements at the police station citing that their documents had been missing from the registrar of person’s office and this is when the police officers started their investigation.
The police officers led by Kapenguria OCPD Anthony Wanjuu conducted raids at the house of Madda Santos, a village elder at Saint Mary’s village in Makutano Township on Thursday.
Wanjuu said that the suspect owned rubber stamps of chiefs from Trans Nzoia and West Pokot county locations and he could use them to extort residents.
“People used to pay for the services, he used to go to the office of the registrar of persons and collect the births and deaths certificates that were ready to be dispatched saying that he has been sent by the area chief,” the OCPD told journalists.
He pointed out that the former assistant chief of Mwotot sub location didn’t hand over the rubber stamps and they are suspecting the culprit could have taken advantage of the rubber stamps and impersonate as the assistant chief.
“The assistant chief retired last year and he lives in Trans Nzoia County. We are looking for him to help us in the investigation. He could ask for transport from residents before he could sign or stamp any document,” said Wanjuu.
The police officers managed to get 77 original birth certificates, application forms for births and other accountable documents.
“This is a syndicate of extortionist involving officials of the department of births and deaths. We are still going on with our investigation to establish if there was a collaboration between the suspect and the registry of person’s officials,” he said.
The county registrar of births and deaths have recorded statements to assist in the investigations.