Trans Nzoia Speaker, MCAs released on cash bail

The Trans Nzoia County Assembly Speaker and 17 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) have been released on a Sh150,000 cash bail each over alleged of misappropriation of public funds.

Speaker David Kinisu Sifuna and the ward representatives appeared before Eldoret Principal Magistrate Harrison Barasa after they allegedly awarded themselves Sh1,786,000 to collect the body of one of their colleagues, Ronald Motongolo, who had died while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital.

Mr Sifuna appeared at Eldoret Law Courts very early in the morning on Wednesday and paid the cash bail while the MCAs pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Drama ensued when the prosecution, led by Zachary Omwega, questioned how the MCAs had paid their cash bail before the court had issued the order.

“I’m shocked that the accused have already paid cash bail and an order has not been issued this court,” Mr Omwega said.

However, Dennis Magare, the lead counsel for the MCAs, said that a similar bail had been issued to others who faced the same charges.

On Monday, twenty-three MCAs from the county appeared in the same court charged with abuse of office and misuse of public funds after allegedly obtaining imprests to receive Mr Motongolo's body in Nairobi in 2014.

They had been earlier been arrested by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in Eldoret for allegedly using their office to improperly confer themselves with a Sh47,000 benefit each to travel to Nairobi on the pretext of receiving Mr Motongolo's body.

The body had been transported a week earlier to his home in Kitale.

One of the accused is sick and is expected to appear in court on Friday to face similar charges.

The case will be mentioned on March 16.