Speaker Benson Mutura charged with stealing Ksh.5M, freed on Ksh.500K cash bail

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura has been released on a cash bail of Ksh.500,000 following his arraignment on charges of stealing by a public servant.

Speaker Mutura was on Friday presented before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu who also slapped him with an alternative bond of Ksh.1 million.

Presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu, Speaker Mutura's lawyer pleaded with the court to release him arguing that his arrest was merely meant to embarrass him.

Magistrate Kimilu set mention of the matter on May 16, 2022, further directing Speaker Mutura not to interfere with investigations.

The Speaker is accused of fraudulently including his name in a number of county travel lists, pocketing money without travelling.

“On diverse dates between the 1st day of February 2021 and 28th February 2022 in Nairobi City County, being the speaker of the County Assembly stole Ksh.5,348,984 the property of the County Government of Nairobi which came into possession by virtue of your employment,” read court charges as seen by Citizen Digital.

His lawyers pleaded with the court to release him arguing that his arrest was merely meant to embarrass him.

Mutura spent Thursday night at the Muthaiga Police Station where he was incarcerated following day-long interrogations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.

He presented himself at the DCI headquarters on Thursday after a failed attempt to arrest him at the Nairobi County Assembly chambers on Wednesday.

Mutura has since termed his arrest as political saying his opposition to the extension of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) term and support for Deputy President William Ruto are the real reasons.