Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has honoured Detective Sergeant Ruth Nyambe for rejecting a $50,000 bribe from a bulk cash-smuggling suspect at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka. The incident occurred on February 5, 2025, when Nyambe, attached to the Airports Division, allegedly discovered a suspect in possession of $2.3 million in cash and seven suspected gold bars during routine screening.
According to the ACC, the unnamed suspect initially offered Nyambe $5,000, later increasing the bribe to $50,000 in an attempt to proceed with the journey. Nyambe refused both offers and reported the matter to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), leading to the suspect’s arrest.
In recognition of what it described as “exceptional integrity,” the ACC honoured her on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, during its Chief Executive Officers’ Forum in Lusaka, where she received the Commission’s Integrity Award.
Following the recognition, Zambia’s Inspector-General of Police Graphel Musamba promoted Nyambe to the rank of Inspector of Police. On the same day, Wednesday, another officer, Sergeant Samuel Mbewe, was also promoted after refusing a 20,000-kwacha ($890) bribe on February 5, 2025, while a third official from the agriculture ministry was honoured for rejecting a 160,000-kwacha ($7,100) bribe linked to unsafe wheat imports, underscoring Zambia’s broader anti-corruption drive.