In a startling turn of events, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o has unveiled the details of a covert operation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) that led to her arrest on Tuesday, December 5, in Mombasa.
Nyakang’o recounted that she and her husband, after a golf game in Karen, noticed they were being followed. The DCI officers informed her that they needed a statement from her at the Central Bank in Nairobi. Despite suggesting to provide the statement at home, the officers insisted it had to be done at the Central Bank.
Dressed warmly for an unknown purpose, Nyakang’o was taken to the Central Bank office in Nairobi, where, to her surprise, she was not given any papers to write. Subsequently, she was informed that she was being taken to Mombasa based on instructions.
Accompanied only by her husband, Nyakang’o was driven to Mombasa, arriving on Tuesday morning after a 7-hour journey. She was then arrested upon reaching the CBK Mombasa office, as the DCI officers from Nairobi handed her case over to the local team.
Charges against Nyakang’o include conspiracy to defraud, operating a Sacco without a license, forgery, and uttering a false document. She revealed that her involvement with the sacco dated back to 2019 when she was invited to join the board due to her expertise. However, after securing the Controller of Budget position in October 2019, she withdrew from the sacco, converting her savings into two plots of land.
Nyakang’o expressed surprise at her arrest, questioning why, among the 11 individuals pursued, she was the sole individual presented in court on Tuesday. She detected mischief in the situation and raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding her arrest.
The political landscape has been quick to react, with opposition leader Raila Odinga condemning Nyakang’o's arrest as a political witch hunt. Kenyan Kwanza MPs, including Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro, within the government, have called for an end to the case, further intensifying the debate over Nyakang’o's arrest and the motives behind it.