Governor Natembeya pleads not guilty to alleged corruption charges

He appeared before Magistrate C.N. Ondieki at the Anti-Corruption Court following his overnight detention at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices.

According to the charge sheet, Governor Natembeya is facing three counts: unlawful acquisition of public property, conflict of interest, and indirectly benefiting from public funds.

The prosecution alleges that between January 1, 2023, and April 30, 2025, the governor acquired an indirect pecuniary interest in county payments made to companies linked to him.

Specifically, the governor is accused of benefiting from transactions between the County Government of Trans Nzoia and one Mercy Chelangat, director of Lyma Agro Science and proprietor of Maira Store.

Both entities allegedly had active business dealings with the county. The prosecution claims that Natembeya unlawfully received a total of KSh 3,252,568 through payments made to Lyma Agro Science, Maira Store, and Easterly Winds Limited—all companies said to have links to him.

During Tuesday’s session, State Prosecutor Alex Akhula strongly opposed Natembeya’s bail application, citing ongoing investigations and the risk of witness interference.

“There are compelling reasons to deny bail, including the likelihood of tampering with evidence, witness intimidation, and concerns over public safety,”

Akhula told the court. He added that vital documents had gone missing during a recent incident in which EACC vehicles were vandalized, implying that key evidence may have been compromised.

“The witnesses in this case are his juniors—individuals employed under his administration. Releasing him at this stage would pose a serious risk to the integrity of the case,” Akhula submitted.

In response, Governor Natembeya’s legal team dismissed the prosecution’s claims as baseless and politically motivated. Lead defence counsel Njeru argued that the affidavit presented by the state lacked factual evidence and was grounded in mere speculation.

“Between now and 2027, we anticipate the judicial system being used to intimidate political opponents,” Njeru submitted. “We urge the court not to fall into this trap. The allegations are nothing more than a political witch-hunt.”

Natembeya’s lawyers further contended that in the absence of concrete evidence, the court should disregard the prosecution’s averments and grant the governor bail.