Chief Justice Koome Suspends Kangema Magistrate After EACC Arrest Over Ksh 150,000 Bribe
Both suspects were later booked at Nyeri Central Police Station where they remain in custody pending processing and arraignment in court.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Eve N. Njeri
The Judiciary has suspended Kangema Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Martin Kinyua Mutegi following his arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on allegations of corruption.
Chief Justice Martha Koome confirmed the suspension, saying the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had commenced formal administrative and disciplinary proceedings against the magistrate.
The action follows a sting operation conducted by EACC detectives at a restaurant in Kangema Township on Tuesday, where Mutegi was arrested alongside Principal Probation Officer Julius Irungu Njogu.
According to the anti-graft agency, the two officers were apprehended while allegedly receiving Ksh 150,000 out of a demanded Ksh 170,000 bribe from a businessman based in Murang’a County.
Investigators said the complainant had been convicted of obtaining money under false pretenses and was awaiting sentencing. The magistrate and the probation officer are said to have demanded the bribe in exchange for a favourable probation report that would enable the businessman to secure a non-custodial sentence instead of serving time in jail.
EACC officers, who had been trailing the two after receiving a complaint from the businessman, moved in and arrested them at the restaurant moments after the money allegedly changed hands.
Both suspects were later booked at Nyeri Central Police Station where they remain in custody pending processing and arraignment in court.
In a statement, Chief Justice Koome said the Judiciary would not tolerate corruption within its ranks, reiterating her firm stance on integrity and accountability in the justice system.
“I have consistently stated that judges, judicial officers, and members of staff cannot discharge justice with one hand and commit a crime with the other,” Koome said.
She emphasized that while the accused judicial officer is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence, the Judiciary will not shield or condone criminal or unethical conduct by any person serving within its ranks.
“The Judiciary will not shield or condone criminal or unethical conduct by any person serving within its ranks,” she stated.
The arrest is part of an intensified crackdown by the EACC on bribery at critical public service delivery points, particularly within the justice and law enforcement sectors where corruption undermines public confidence.
The commission has in recent months stepped up sting operations targeting judicial officers, police officers, lands officials and county government staff following increased complaints from members of the public.
If found guilty, the two officers could face prosecution under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, dismissal from public service, and other penalties as provided by law.
The JSC is expected to constitute a tribunal to hear the disciplinary case against Magistrate Mutegi as investigations continue.
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