The majority of police officers vetted yesterday admitted to giving kickbacks to their seniors, saying it was an "order from above".
During the second day of vetting at the School of Government in Mombasa, Sergeant Wycliffe Simiyu, based in Mombasa, was put to task to explain how he had 195 M-PESA transactions to his wife amounting to more than Sh500,000, with the money being sent through agents.
Commissioner Mary Owuor said most officers did not transact directly, an indication they were covering up their tracks.
The two-week vetting is being conducted by the National Police Service Commission chaired by Johnston Kavuludi.
Forty-two officers have been vetted.
Sergeant Jairus Okere, based in Kilifi but posted to Webuye last week, is said to have sent money to his seniors, including former Mombasa OCPD Martin Asin, who died in a road accident.
He said he was acting on orders from above and sent Sh30,000 to Asin, while he was in Eastern.
“I never questioned what the money was about. We were also told our bosses need money,” Okere said, adding that the money was sent weekly.
In the list, OCPD Johnstone Makau was paid Sh40,000, senior superintendent Joseph Ngeli Sh6,000 and chief inspector Susan Munya 31,000. Makau's wife received Sh851,000 in 130 transactions.
A commissioner said some officers tried to manipulate their M-Pesa statements.
"We have our way of knowing when something is not right. We receive data directly from Safaricom even if the officer will bring his,” the commissioner said.
Simiyu had 22 transactions with his sister-in-law Muthoni Mithika amounting to Sh84,000, but he said he was supporting her.
Sergeant Naomi Achieng’, based in Mombasa, was accused of mishandling a firearm.
She was accused of carelessly firing one shot while stationed at Awendo police station in Nyanza in 1999 after being given a revolver by a colleague to return to the armoury on his behalf.
In her defence, Achieng' said she had not been taught how handle a revolver.
She did not provide her M-Pesa statement, but had a Kenya Women Finance Trust bank transaction of Sh300,000 between January to November 2012.
Achieng said she was repaying a Sh300,000 loan she took to build her house. She also applied for a Sh1.1 million loan during the same period.
Kavuludi ordered the M-Pesa statement be submitted before tomorrow.
Another officer stunned the team when she requested to be allowed to respond in Kiswahili, as she was not well conversant with English.
Another Seagent, Benard Kazungu, based in Taita Taveta, did not explain how he bought a canter worth $426.
“I was on a one-year mission outside the country where I was being paid between $4600-$4800 a month,” he said.