Inquests into M-PESA transactions of senior traffic police officers in Nyanza did not reveal much as farming proceeds came out as the officers’ route to earning millions of shillings.
Although a number of officers were at pains to explain money received or sent to their colleagues, it became apparent that officers in the region, most of who hail from Rift Valley, have invested in farming.
Officers worth Sh30 million, Sh21 million and Sh18 million on farming alone told the NPSC vetting committee that they grew tea, kept livestock or had commercial properties.
Betsy Kimaiyo told a panel chaired by the National Police Service Commission chairman Johnstone Kavuludi that she had over four acres of land in Uasin Gishu on which she grew wheat and maize commercially.
Nyando’s Paul Kurgat declared that he owns 16 acres on which he practiced various farming activities including tea farming, livestock keeping and poultry rearing.
He easily linked his M-PESA transactions to the movement of the farming proceeds.
Asked to explain why some of the transactions went to colleagues in the force, he said he did business with a number of them, while to some he just sold farm produce.
Even Marsabit’s corporal attributed farming to his good fortunes.
Fortunes from farming is a large departure from Mombasa’s deep inquest into fat suspect M-PESA and bank accounts.