A dramatic scene unfolded outside Nairobi’s Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday as anti-corruption officers clashed with individuals allegedly attempting to obstruct justice, leading to the arrest of more than 20 county officials from Trans Nzoia.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) confirmed the arrests, stating the suspects were detained for interfering with law enforcement operations tied to an ongoing investigation into high-level corruption involving county officials.
Among those arrested were Sinyerere Ward MCA John Chigi Makhanu, Governor George Natembeya’s Protocol Officer Frank Kuyala Wabwire, and former Motosiet Ward MCA Bernard Muganda, who had been taken into custody a day earlier.
The tension peaked at Milimani when a group of men in suits reportedly associated with the Trans Nzoia County leadership were involved in a physical altercation with EACC and DCI officers immediately after a court session linked to Governor Natembeya’s case. Eyewitnesses captured chaotic footage showing one man being bundled into a vehicle as others attempted to intervene. Shouts and resistance from those being apprehended quickly drew a crowd outside the courthouse.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), working with officers from the Integrity Police Station, arrested senior county officials for obstructing EACC officers who were executing a valid court order,” said a statement from the EACC.
In total, 24 individuals have been arrested and charged at the Kitale Law Courts in connection with the incident.
These developments come against the backdrop of an ongoing corruption probe into Trans Nzoia County. On May 19, EACC officers, armed with a court-sanctioned search warrant, raided Governor Natembeya’s Kitale residence as part of investigations into alleged procurement fraud, abuse of office, bribery, and misappropriation of Ksh1.46 billion between 2022 and 2025.
As the investigation deepens, EACC has vowed to pursue all individuals found obstructing justice, signaling that no official elected or appointed will be spared in the effort to stamp out graft.
