Taita Taveta County Assembly Clerk arrested after MCAs spent Ksh.17M on 'bonding' trip

Maganga was arrested on Friday morning after the High Court in Voi dismissed a case he had filed against EACC and the ODPP seeking to stop his arrest and prosecution over an alleged fraudulent expenditure incurred during a bonding trip by 21 Members of County Assembly to Zanzibar in 2022.

On Thursday, Justice George Dulu declined to issue the orders sought by the clerk paving the way for his prosecution.

"The Clerk faces graft charges alongside the Deputy Speaker Mwadime Chao who has since pleaded not guilty to charges," said EACC.

Investigations by the anti-graft body established that a Ksh.17 million was spent on the trip out of which Ksh.9 million was directly paid to the organizers for logistics while Ksh.8 million was paid as imprest to 30 officials, including 21 MCAs. 

"The County Assembly used forged documents to account for the fraudulent expenditure. The officials were overpaid while some of those who received allowances did not travel," said EACC.