Skip to content
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has approved corruption charges against Senior Principal Magistrate Martin Kinyua Mutegibe. The decision follows investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Mutegibe served at the Kangema Law Courts before investigators arrested him last week. EACC officers also arrested Senior Probation Officer Julius Irungu Njogu during the same operation.
The ODPP said investigators presented enough evidence to support criminal charges against the two officials. Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Igonga reviewed the inquiry file before approving the prosecution.
The two suspects will face charges of receiving a bribe under the Anti-Bribery Act. The ODPP directed that they appear before a competent court without delay.
Alleged Bribe Linked to Criminal Case
Court documents indicate that investigators accused the magistrate of soliciting and receiving Ksh150,000. Prosecutors say he allegedly sought the money to influence the outcome of a criminal case before his court.
Investigators also accused the probation officer of demanding Ksh170,000 from a litigant. They allege he promised to secure a favourable sentence for a convicted person in exchange for the payment.
A court had earlier released Mutegibe on bond after his initial appearance. Authorities later rearrested him ahead of a fresh arraignment before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court.
Investigators say the magistrate went into hiding after his release. EACC officers eventually traced him and discovered that he had admitted himself to a hospital.
Judiciary Opens Disciplinary Action
Chief Justice Martha Koome has suspended the magistrate following the arrest. The Judicial Service Commission also ordered a formal investigation into the allegations.
Koome said the Judiciary had already begun administrative and disciplinary proceedings against the judicial officer. She pledged full cooperation with EACC investigators and prosecutors handling the case.
The prosecution marks another significant step in the government’s campaign against corruption within public institutions. Investigators have increasingly targeted officials accused of soliciting bribes from court users.
The case has attracted public attention because it involves a serving judicial officer and a probation official from the same court station. The suspects remain innocent until the court determines the charges against them.
About The Author
