Senator Eddie Oketch denies political motive in Natembeya’s arrest
Migori Senator Eddie Oketch has strongly refuted claims that the recent arrest of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya was politically motivated.
While speaking during a morning TV show on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the senator dismissed the narrative of a political witch-hunt, insisting that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is simply performing its constitutional mandate.
Oketch argued that Natembeya is not the only governor who has openly criticised the Kenya Kwanza administration.
According to him, when ranking governors who have been vocal against the government, Natembeya does not even top the list.
He pointed to Siaya Governor James Orengo as a more prominent critic of the regime and the broad-based government initiative.
Despite Orengo’s vocal opposition, no similar actions have been taken against him, suggesting that political alignment may not necessarily be the basis for Natembeya’s arrest.
“Natembeya is not the only governor who has joined the national political discourse. We have seen people like Orengo who are fierce critics, even more so than Natembeya, yet such kind of scathing attacks have not been levied against him.” Oketch said.
The senator did, however, acknowledge that in some instances, critics of the government can be targeted, something which is quite common and cannot be entirely ruled out in Natembeya’s situation.
However, he emphasised that accountability must be pursued regardless of political affiliation.
Oketch also called for patience as the EACC and other investigative bodies carry out their investigations in Natembeya’s case.
He stated that until the investigations are complete and guilt is established, it is premature to draw conclusions.
Natembeya’s case
He urged the public to allow the EACC adequate time to determine whether the charges against Natembeya are valid, rather than rushing to assign political motives to the legal process.
According to Oketch, political motives alone cannot justify dismissing a corruption investigation, especially when the rule of law and public accountability are at stake.
This comes after Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya’s arrest on May 19, 2025, by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in connection with procurement irregularities, abuse of office, bribery, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds amounting to Ksh1.4 billion.
The investigations focus on three major county projects: the modernisation of Kenyatta Stadium, the construction of the Trans Nzoia County Headquarters, and the development of Tom Mboya Hospital, covering the 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 financial years.
Following his arrest, Natembeya spent a night in custody before being arraigned on Monday, May 20, 2025, at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court.
He was formally charged with four counts, including two counts of conflict of interest and one count related to the unlawful acquisition of Ksh3.25 million, allegedly received through intermediaries from companies such as Lyma Agro Science Ltd, Maira Stores, and Easterly Winds Ltd. The governor denied all charges.
Senior Magistrate Charles Ondieki granted Natembeya release on a Ksh1 million bond or an alternative cash bail of Ksh500,000.
The court also imposed several conditions: he is barred from accessing his county office for 60 days, forbidden from travelling outside the country without prior court approval, and restricted from commenting publicly on the ongoing case or interfering with witnesses.
