The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a Senior Principal Magistrate attached to Kangema Law Courts and a Principal Probation Officer over allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe from a litigant in exchange for influencing the outcome of a criminal case.
The suspects, Martin Kinyua Mutegi, a Senior Principal Magistrate at Kangema Law Courts, and Julius Irungu Njogu, Principal Probation Officer, were arrested on 21st July 2026 at a restaurant within Kangema Township following an operation mounted by the Commission.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged by a businessman from Murang’a County, who reported that he had been convicted on July 2, 2026, in a criminal case for obtaining money by false pretences and was scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2026.
Preliminary investigations established that the probation officer approached the complainant, claiming to act on behalf of the magistrate, and demanded Ksh170,000, assuring him that the money would secure a non-custodial sentence through a favourable probation recommendation rather than a custodial sentence.
EACC mounted an operation that culminated in the arrest of the two suspects while receiving Ksh150,000 from the complainant. They are currently in custody at the Nyeri Central Police Station and will be processed this morning at the EACC Central Regional Office.
EACC has further reiterated its commitment to tackling bribery at service delivery points and enhancing the quality of public services for all citizens.
