Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o has revealed details surrounding her controversial arrest and arraignment in Mombasa which started in Karen, Nairobi City.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Nyakang’o narrated how what started as a statement recording visit to Nairobi ended up in Mombasa after a night road trip.
Further, Nyakang’o said they realized a vehicle following them as they were returning home on Monday, December 4.
Upon reaching home, the occupants said they needed to take a statement from her at Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in Nairobi.
“One of the officers asked me to look for a trouser and something warm. I wondered why. I offered to write the statement from my home office, but they said no, we must go to town,” she said.
Trip to Mombasa
According to the Controller of Budget, she was not given any papers to write after arriving at the CBK offices.
“They then told me they were under instructions to take me to Mombasa. I had not eaten and so they allowed my husband to get me some food, which he did, and even brought some for the officers. He was then asked to go back home,” said Nyakang’o.
The Controller says she reached Mombasa on Tuesday morning, and she was taken to the CBK offices within the Coastal City.
Afterwards, the officers from Nairobi handed her case over to the Mombasa team who processed and took her to court.
Nyakang’o Tribulations
Besides, she said her tribulations originated from a SACCO membership she abandoned as soon as she was appointed as the Controller of Budget
Nyakang’o explained that in 2019, she saw a call from a SACCO that needed someone to sit on the board.
Consequently, she met with one of the officials in Nairobi who told her that they needed to expand the SACCO and bring experts on board.
“He said for me to join the board I needed to sign up as a member first. I filled in the forms, and he told me that if I could save up to Ksh.100,000 by the time of AGM I could join the board,” she said.
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Nyakang’o went on to add that in October 2019, she was interviewed and vetted for the Controller of Budget job.
After she was picked for the position, she approached the SACCO and expressed her intention to exit.
Additionally, she explained that she converted her savings into two plots of land which she topped up to secure.
The Controller of Budget says she later learnt during an investigation that she had been listed as part of the board of directors despite not being elected at the AGM.
“I told the investigator (then) that I had been proposed as a board member pending AGM confirmation which never happened. He looked satisfied and he left, she said.
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Who is after me?
Furthermore, Nyakang’o says she is surprised that out of the eleven listed individuals, she was the only one in court in Mombasa.
“I don’t know who is looking for me, I don’t know who is after me,” she said.
Politicians led by opposition leader Raila Odinga condemned the arrests arguing that it was a politically instigated move.
National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro also condemned the arrests stating that it is similar to what happened to former National Treasury CS Henry Rotich.
Also, she faced charges of operating a Sacco without a license, forgery and conspiracy to defraud.
However, she was released on a Ksh.500,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty to the accusations.
