Raila: Arrest of Margaret Nyakang'o didn't surprise us

By Peter Ochieng

Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga has reacted to the arrest and arraignment of Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang'o.

She was arrested on Tuesday morning while attending a public forum in Mombasa, before being arraigned in court hours later for charges bordering on conspiracy to defraud contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code, operating a Sacco without a Licence Contrary to Section 24 as read with Section 66 of the Sacco Societies Act, 2008, and forgery and uttering a false document.

She pleaded not guilty and was released on a Sh2 million bond with a similar surety or alternative cash bail of Sh500,000.

Odinga in a signed statement shared on Tuesday evenning said Azimio leaders are not surprised with Nyakang'o's arrest and subsequent arraignment in court.

He said her arrest was forth coming, in light of her determination to act proffessionally and with intergrity in a regime 'infested by crooks and unprofessional conduct.'

"Her tribulations are thus politically motivated witch hunt which the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) will find difficult to convince Kenyans about, at a time Kenyans are wreathing under full blown corruption," said Odinga.

He encouraged the CoB to remain strong in defense of intergrity, professionalism and the dictates of good governance. Odinga said Azimio will offer her all the relevant support she may need.

Nyakang'o reportedly committed the crimes she was charged for in 2016, before she became the Controller of Budget.

Charges against her were approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in a letter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on 30th November, 2023.

She has been vocal against government expenditure, on most occassions flagging president William Ruto's administration for spending beyond particular budgetary allocations.