The Anti-Corruption Court has released Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya on a cash bail of Sh500,000 or a bond of Sh1 million.
The court has also barred him from accessing his office for 60 days and from contacting witnesses in his graft case.
Additionally, Natembeya has been prohibited from leaving the country without the court’s permission. This comes after the governor urged the court to grant him bail pending the hearing of a Sh 3.2 million graft case.
Through his defence lawyers, Natembeya asked Milimani Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Charles Ondieki to release him on reasonable bail terms, describing the charges as politically motivated and intended to punish him.
Led by senior counsels Macharia Njeru and Ndegwa Njiru, the governor’s lawyers argued that the prosecution's case was weak and driven by ulterior motives.
“My plea is that we have mercy on the accused,” said Njeru.
“What we have here is welfare. We live in this country, and none of us can purport to shut our eyes to that. Independent agencies are being captured and used to weaponize matters of justice, where legal processes are used to harass political colleagues. It is very sad.”
Njeru, a former chairperson of the National Police Service Commission, alleged political interference in the case and claimed he had first-hand experience with such matters. By Nancy Gitonga, The Standard
