Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati spent the night in police custody following his surrender to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Nairobi on Monday. He will face corruption charges in court on Tuesday, September 2.
Wangamati, who served one term as Bungoma’s county boss between 2017 and 2022, is accused of embezzling approximately Ksh70 million while in office.
The allegations follow the EACC seeking permission from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to arraign him and several of his associates.
On Friday, August 29, the commission released a statement that listed more than ten people and companies said to be linked to the misappropriation of county funds. EACC chief executive Abdi Mohamud directed all the suspects to appear at Integrity Centre for processing.
Wangamati attended the commission’s offices on Monday morning and was subsequently driven to Kilimani Police Station, where he will be kept overnight in custody.
In brief comments on his arrest, the former governor trivialized the case as politically driven.
“This is nothing but a witch hunt with relation to 2027 Bungoma politics,” he claimed.
The unfolding drama has also caught up with Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok, also being independently charged with graft. Barchok was called to EACC following the loss of a court case to prevent his arrest.
He is being investigated for alleged money laundering and suspicious wealth worth millions of shillings.
In his suit against the High Court, Barchok had contended that his political participation rights, rights to fair administrative action, and dignity were being trampled upon by the decision of the commission to refer him to the ODPP.
With two top county chiefs now under the scrutiny of the anti-graft agency, its net seems to be closing in on county leaders who are said to have been implicated in corruption in the devolved units.
