The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Friday intensified its crackdown on graft, launching coordinated raids on the home and offices of Josphat Kabeabea, the Chairperson of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) Board.
EACC officers executed court-backed search warrants on November 14, 2025, seizing documents and electronic devices believed to contain crucial evidence. Shortly after the raid, Kabeabea was arrested and transferred to the Integrity Centre, where he was processed.
According to investigators, the probe was triggered by a series of alarming complaints from businesses that accused Kabeabea of demanding large cash payments under threats of arrest or closure.
One of the most recent incidents occurred on November 11, when Kabeabea allegedly demanded a Sh5 million bribe from a Chinese investor running Hongda Automotive Limited. He reportedly accused the company of dealing in counterfeit goods and threatened detention unless the money was paid. When the investor resisted, Kabeabea is said to have lowered the demand multiple times before finally settling on Sh150,000, which was sent to a mobile number believed to belong to his driver.
EACC investigators confirmed Kabeabea’s visits to the company premises on November 10 and 11; CCTV footage, witness statements, and mobile money records have since been collected.
This case mirrors another incident from October 2025, where he allegedly demanded Sh10 million and received Sh8 million from UNIPRO Limited under similar threats. Senior EACC officials said the patterns of extortion grew too serious to ignore. “We are following evidence where it leads,” an investigator familiar with the case stated.
The EACC’s firm action has sparked shock within the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, with the scandal raising urgent questions about the integrity of regulatory bodies tasked with protecting Kenyans from counterfeit.
