Natembeya released on Sh500,000 cash bail
The governor, who was arrested on Monday and spent the night at Integrity Centre, appeared before court, where he pleaded not guilty
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has been barred from accessing his office for the next 60 days after he was released on a Ksh 500,000 cash bail after denying corruption charges leveled against him.
Alternatively, he had been directed to deposit a surety bond of Ksh 1 million
Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki also barred him from commenting on the case either in the media or public forums.
Natembeya has been barred from exiting Kenya unless with the permission of the court and warned of witness interference.
The governor, who was arrested on Monday and spent the night at Integrity Centre, appeared before court, where he pleaded not guilty.
He was taken to court after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission investigated him over allegations that he received 3,252,568 kickback from companies that had been contracted by the County Government of Trans-Nzoia.
It is alleged that the governor received the said money between January 2023 and April 2025.
He was charged alongside the County Chief Officer for Finance who is also alleged to be an owner of one of the companies in question.
The court heard that between 1st January 2023 and 30th April 2025, while serving as the Governor of Trans Nzoia County, Natembeya acquired an indirect pecuniary interest of Ksh 1,127,900 from Mercy Chelangat, the Director of Lyma Agro Science Limited and proprietor of Maira Stores—both of which traded with the county government.
It was further alleged that he acquired an indirect pecuniary interest in the sum of Ksh 2,124,668 from Emmanuel Wafula Masungo, the beneficial owner of Easterly Winds Limited, which also did business with the County Government of Trans Nzoia.
Yesterday, Natembeya spent the day at the EACC headquarters, where he was grilled before being presented in court today morning.
The anti-graft authority had, however, yesterday indicated that the governor was arrested in connection with ongoing investigations into bribery, abuse of office, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds amounting to Ksh 1.4 billion.
The EACC named Finance and Water chief officers, the County director of procurement and a contractor whom it said was a proxy of Natembeya as persons of interest.
The governor paid the cash bail before being whisked by his team to board his vehicle.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, through Assistant Directors of Public Prosecutions Eliphas Ombati and Alex Akula, Principal Prosecution CounselVictor Owiti and Prosecution Counsel Abdisalam Bore, was directed to supply all the documentary evidence before 3rd June 2025 at 9.00am when the case will be mentioned for pre-trial.
