The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested Kangema Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Hon. Martin Kinyua Mutegi and Principal Probation Officer Julius Irungu Njogu over allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe to influence the outcome of a criminal case.
The two suspects were arrested on Monday, July 21, 2026, during an intelligence-led operation conducted by EACC officers at a restaurant in Kangema Township after investigators caught them receiving Ksh150,000 from a complainant.
According to the EACC, the operation was triggered by a complaint from a businessman from Murang’a County who had been convicted on July 2, 2026, in a case involving obtaining money by false pretences. The businessman was scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2026.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the probation officer approached the complainant, claiming he was acting on behalf of the magistrate, and demanded Ksh170,000.
In return, he allegedly promised that the complainant would receive a favourable probation report, paving the way for a non-custodial sentence instead of imprisonment.
Acting on the complaint, EACC detectives planned and executed a sting operation, culminating in the dramatic arrest of the two suspects while they were allegedly receiving Ksh150,000 at the restaurant.
The suspects were taken into custody at Nyeri Central Police Station and are expected to be processed at the EACC Central Regional Office as investigations continue.
