Three county officials to face charges of obstruction during operation at Natembeya’s home
EACC says investigations by the DCI also led to the arrest of 24 suspects who were charged at Kitale Law Courts.
Three senior Trans Nzoia County Government officials will today be arraigned in court after they were yesterday arrested outside the Milimani Law Courts, where they had gone for the hearing of Governor George Natembeya’s graft case.
In a statement issued by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the three were arrested for obstructing its officers during a lawful operation carried out under a court order last month at Governor Natembeya’s home in Kitale.
They accused the three of inciting the public, who destroyed vehicles and assaulted the law enforcement officers.
“During the operation, Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and senior county officials incited the public, resulting in the obstruction of officers, assault on law enforcement, and vandalism of five government vehicles valued at Ksh 12.1 million,” EACC said.
Among those arrested are a former Motosiet Member of County Assembly (MCA) Bernard Muganda, Sinyerere MCA John Chigi Makhanu, and Frank Kuyala Wabwire, who works as the governor’s Protocol Officer.
The arrest was made by the coordination of officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and EACC officers from their headquarters at the Integrity Centre.
The anti-graft authority added that the operation was part of an ongoing investigation into suspected procurement irregularities, bribery, abuse of office, and the questionable acquisition of Ksh 1.46 billion in county funds during the 2022–2025 financial years.
The commission said that investigations by the DCI led to the arrest of 24 suspects who were also charged at Kitale Law Courts. The three senior officials are expected to appear at the Kitale Law Courts.
The Trans Nzoia Governor is facing three counts: unlawful acquisition of public property, conflict of interest, and indirectly benefiting from public funds. He was released last month after he was charged in Court and released on a bond of Sh1 million or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 500,000.
The court set 15 conditions for his release, including a ban on foreign travel unless allowed by the court and restricted access to his office.
During yesterday’s proceedings, the court also ordered the prosecution to submit all the documents it plans to use in the case by June 16.
“Those documents and statements ought to have been supplied by now… I therefore direct the prosecution to comply with the earlier orders,” the court ordered.
