Karua on Nyakango's arrest: Timing suggestive of harassment, intimidation

Narc Kenya boss Martha Karua has termed as harassment the arrest of Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o.

The CoB boss was on Tuesday presented before a Mombasa court she is set to face charges in connection to a complaint made against her and 10 other people in 2016 before she became CoB.

She is set to face charges with various offences related to operating a Sacco without a licence.

Nyakang'o was presented at the Mombasa court at around 12:20 pm on Tuesday under tight security.

She walked into the courtroom carrying her handbag as she wore a black top, black trousers and a grey sweater.

However, Karua said the timing of the arrest of Nyakang'o was suspect, coming days after revealing details of budgeted corruption.

"Timing suggestive of harassment and intimidation, especially coming after her revealing testimony at Bomas,'' Karua posted in her verified X account.

The politician wondered why the people Nyakang'o mentioned as orchestrating the loss of public funds have not been arrested.

''Those siphoning government money at treasury are scot free but the whistleblower is under arrest,'' she added.

While making her submissions before the National Dialogue Committee last month, Nyakang'o claimed that senior treasury officials were budgeting for corruption.

She revealed that treasury officials inflated her salary budget three times, contrary to what she is paid.

Nyakang'o revealed the case was similar to several other government officials.

She said that the rot in the National Treasury had partially contributed to the high cost of living in the country.

"When I was doing the budget for consolidated funds services, this is where my salary is paid from, I found out that my salary was budgeted at three times what I'm paid. I am the only state officer in my institution so there is nothing like confusion there," she said.

"I'm all alone. So I asked them why is the budget showing three times what my annual salary was. And it was like that for all the state officers. I have not received the answer to date."

In March, Nyakang'o revealed how she was put under pressure to release Sh15 billion days before the 2022 General Elections.

Nyakang'o said that she was threatened to release Sh6 billion for the purchase of Telcos and Sh9.5 billion from the annuity fund a few days before the elections.

She said this when she appeared before the Parliamentary Public Petitions Committee on March 7, 2023.

Nyakango who came into office in December 2019 was arrested in Mombasa and is set to face charges.

The CoB with 10 others are supposed to face charges including conspiracy to defraud contrary to Section 317 of the Penal Code, operating a Sacco without a Licence Contrary to Section 24.

They also face charges of forgery and uttering a false document c/s 353 of the Penal Code.

This is in connection to a complaint made against her and 10 other people in 2016. This was before she became the CoB.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions approved the charges in a letter to the DCI on November 30.