Governor Natembeya Freed But Blocked From Accessing His Office & Leaving Kenya
As part of the terms, Natembeya is required to stay away from the county headquarters to allow police to gather evidence
Marvin Chege 
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has been barred from accessing his Kitale office for 60 days as part of his bail conditions.
He was released on Tuesday, May 20, on a Ksh1 million bond or a cash bail of Ksh 500,000, under strict instructions issued by Senior Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki.
As part of the terms, Natembeya is required to stay away from the county headquarters for the three-month period to allow police to gather evidence, if any, from that office.
Furthermore, he has also been barred from making public comments about the case, which includes talking about the merits of the case in the media. He has also been barred from contacting witnesses.
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya at the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi on May 20, 2025. /CITY MIRROR KE
Governor Natembeya has also been compelled to surrender his passport in court to ensure he does not leave the country.
"The 1st has to appear before the court when and has required. The 1st accused undertakes to appear in court 15 minutes before the appointed time for the mention hearing unless exempted by court from physically appearing in court," the magistrate noted in his ruling.
The magistrate dismissed the prosecution’s attempt to block his release on bail, stating that there were no convincing reasons to justify it.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) formally charged Natembeya, a vocal critic of the government, with the unlawful acquisition of public funds totalling Ksh 3,252,568. The charges relate to payments made by the County Government of Trans Nzoia to three companies engaged in business with the county administration.
According to the charge sheet, between January 1, 2023, and April 30, 2025, Governor Natembeya was alleged to have unlawfully acquired the said amount through transactions involving Lyma Agro Science Limited, Maira Stores, and Easterly Winds Limited, in circumstances deemed to present a conflict of interest.
The governor is further facing two counts of conflict of interest, contrary to Section 42(3) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003.
The court was told that during his tenure as governor, Natembeya indirectly benefited from Ksh 1,127,900 through the Director of Lyma Agro Science Limited and the owner of Maira Stores, both of which had active contracts with the county government.
He is also alleged to have received an indirect financial benefit of Ksh 2,124,668 from the beneficial owner of Easterly Winds Limited, another company that conducted business with the county.
Appearing before Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, Governor Natembeya pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was released on a bond of Ksh 1 million or an alternative cash bail of Ksh 500,000.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant DPP Eliphas Ombati, Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Akula and Victor Owiti, and Prosecution Counsel Abdisalam Bore, was directed to furnish all documentary evidence by June 3, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., when the matter will be mentioned for pre-trial.
Natembeya was arrested on Monday, May 19, following a raid at his residence by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), reportedly carried out by heavily armed anti-riot police as large crowds of Natembeya’s supporters gathered, clashing with police in a heated standoff.
Officers struggled to manage the swelling crowd, prompting the deployment of reinforcements to keep things from spiralling further.
EACC, in response, condemned the chaos during the raid on Natembeya’s home, where five of its vehicles were damaged, warning locals involved in the disruption that they could face legal action for interfering with official duties.
The supporters of the county chief gathered outside the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi the following day, amidst a looming standoff between them and the police. The protesters, most of whom were on motorbikes, created major traffic congestion outside the court, forcing motorists to slow down as they navigated through the chaotic and theatrical demonstration.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed it had launched a probe into the violent altercation in Kitale, where EACC officers faced obstruction while executing their official mandate. "The attack is a blatant attempt to undermine the rule of law and obstruct justice. The DCI has launched investigations to identify and bring to book the perpetrators behind this attack," stated the DCI.
The governor is accused of receiving illicit payments linked to procurement contracts totalling Ksh 1.4 billion, awarded to various companies since 2022.
Cars used by EACC detectives destroyed by rowdy youth when the EACC raided Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya's home in Milimani Estate pic.twitter.com/kdqhWnH8DG — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) May 19, 2025
