Senator Onyonka condemns Natembeya’s arrest
Kisii County Senator Richard Onyonka has condemned the government for weaponising independent institutions for political reasons after Trans Nzoia Governor George Ntaembeya was arrested.
In a statement on X on Monday, May 19, 2025, the senator stated that Natembeya’s arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is uncalled for.
“The recent arrest of Governor George Natembeya, who has never hesitated to stand with his people on the Nzoia and Mumia Sugar Factory scandal, is not only uncalled for but also an affront to the spirit of devolution and democratic accountability.”
Further, he stated that these attacks are against the law and an affront to the autonomy of the Kenyan institutions.
“We cannot allow the reversal to a gloomy period when state authority is employed to suppress dissenting views rather than the public interest.
Natembeya’s arrest
This comes after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) raided Governor George Natembeya’s home over accusations of embezzlement of county funds.
According to the governor’s lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, he was presented at the EACC headquarters in Nairobi on Monday morning for a statement recording.
In a statement on X, Njiru stated that the county’s administrator’s legal team had been denied access to him.
“Governor Natembeya arrested. Currently at EACC.Advocates barred by the EACC officers from accessing the client,” he stated.
The Commission says it is investigating accusations of procurement irregularities, abuse of office and bribery linked to the fraudulent acquisition of Ksh1.4 billion.
The irregularities are believed to have occurred in the 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 financial years.
Further, the Commission states that the incidents relate to three major county projects, among them the rehabilitation and modernisation of Kenyatta Stadium (Phase 1A), the construction of the county headquarters offices and the construction of Tom Mboya Hospital.
The Commission is therefore conducting a search operation, targeting offices and residences of various persons of interest, including Natembeya’s.
“The governor is accused of having influenced the award of tenders and received kickbacks from contractors through proxies,” EACC said.
His arrest comes after top political leaders from Western Kenya led a massive protest against the government’s decision to lease Nzoia Sugar Company to controversial businessman Jaswant Rai on May 12, 2025.
The demonstration, which brought the Webuye-Malava highway to a standstill, descended into chaos after police fired teargas and live rounds into the air to disperse the crowds.
The protest, spearheaded by Democratic Action Party–Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, and politician Cleophas Malala, drew hundreds of sugarcane farmers and residents from across the region.
Demonstrators decried what they called an illegal and forceful takeover of a key regional economic lifeline, despite a court order issued on April 23 halting the lease of the state-owned miller to Rai’s West Kenya Sugar Company.
