Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT) officer in Kisii, Fidel Omondi, arrested with a suspected bribe of KSh171,000. Photo by EACC 
By Ryan Mumo
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has uncovered a suspected bribery ring at the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT) Kisii Campus, following a coordinated search operation conducted on November 28, 2025.
Officers from the Commission, acting on duly obtained search warrants, raided the institution and the residences of three officials from KIHBT and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), amid allegations of widespread corruption in the administration of driving examinations.
The operation stemmed from reports that instructors in the Plant Operation Department had been soliciting and receiving bribes from students scheduled to sit for test-drive exams.
The alleged payments were purportedly demanded as “facilitation fees” to guarantee a pass in NTSA-administered tests. Additional reports indicated that some instructors had also been collecting tuition fees directly—either in cash or via their personal mobile money numbers—in blatant disregard of institutional regulations requiring that fees be paid exclusively through the official school pay bill.
Preliminary investigations by the Commission point to a well-organised syndicate allegedly run by two KIHBT instructors, Philip Dawa and Fidel Omondi. According to investigators, all students were required to pay a mandatory bribe of KSh3,100, which was collected in cash by Omondi, to secure a passing grade in the driving exam.
Those who declined to pay were reportedly failed automatically. Further, evidence suggests that after paying the facilitation fee, some students were awarded passing marks and certificates without being subjected to actual practical examinations.
The inquiry also revealed irregularities in the collection of tuition fees. Although the official cost of training at the campus is KSh65,000—plus a KSh1,050 registration fee—students who opted to pay directly to instructors were charged just KSh40,000, far below the required amount. This discrepancy has raised concerns over the scale of financial losses to the institution.
Financial records obtained by the Commission indicate striking patterns of mobile money transactions linked to the two instructors. Over the past three years, Philip Dawa is reported to have transacted more than KSh34 million through two M-Pesa accounts, while Fidel Omondi allegedly moved KSh8 million over the same period, signalling a possible long-running graft scheme.
During the operation, EACC officers arrested Fidel Omondi and recovered KSh171,000 in cash from an envelope concealed in his jacket. Several other items deemed vital to the investigation were also seized for forensic analysis. The suspect was subsequently processed at Kisii Police Station and is being held pending the conclusion of investigations.
EACC has reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling bribery networks at all service delivery points and urged members of the public to continue reporting unethical practices. The Commission encouraged citizens to use its toll-free hotline, 1551, or visit any of its regional offices to lodge complaints.
The latest crackdown underscores the Commission’s heightened vigilance against corruption within key public training and licensing institutions, signalling a renewed push to restore integrity in critical service sectors.
