Natembeya to spend night in custody ahead of Tuesday court appearance over Sh1.4bn graft allegations
Natembeya was arrested in Kilimani, Nairobi, on Monday after detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) raided his home in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya will spend the night behind bars ahead of a court appearance on Tuesday, over graft allegations.
He is expected to face charges of conflict of interest and unlawful acquisition of public property.
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Natembeya was arrested in Kilimani, Nairobi, on Monday after detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) raided his home in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
According to EACC, the Kitale raid was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into Governor Natembeya over alleged procurement irregularities, abuse of office, bribery, and the fraudulent acquisition of public funds totalling Sh1.4 billion.
The raid, which occurred at around 7 am, saw EACC officers, accompanied by their counterparts from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and escorted by anti-riot police from Kitale, enter the governor's residence in the upscale Milimani neighbourhood.
It soon sparked public interest, as an agitated group of locals assembled outside the premises to voice their opposition to the raid.
The raid later prompted backlash from opposition leaders, with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) describing the operation as a political witch hunt.
Eugene Wamalwa's Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) also accused the government of using security agencies to pursue political vendettas.
Earlier on Sunday, Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka had revealed that he had received word of the planned raid targeting Natembeya.
"Governor Natembeya is threatened as we speak, and on Monday, which is tomorrow, they have obtained a search warrant to go and search his house. They just want to apprehend him and release him so that they may embarrass him before the people of Trans Nzoia," Musyoka said at a rally in Machakos on Sunday.
He also alleged that the arrest was intended to tarnish Natembeya's political reputation.
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