NAIROBI, Kenya- A Senior Principal Magistrate attached to Kangema Law Courts and a Principal Probation Officer have been arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe to influence the outcome of a criminal case.
The anti-graft agency said Hon. Martin Kinyua Mutegi, a Senior Principal Magistrate at Kangema Law Courts, and Julius Irungu Njogu, a Principal Probation Officer, were arrested on Monday, July 21, during an intelligence-led operation at a restaurant in Kangema Township.
According to EACC, the operation followed a complaint by a businessman from Murang’a County who claimed he had been asked to pay money in exchange for a favourable sentence.
The complainant had been convicted on July 2, 2026, in a criminal case involving obtaining money by false pretences and was due to be sentenced on July 22.
Investigations by the Commission established that the probation officer allegedly approached the businessman, claiming to be acting on behalf of the magistrate, and demanded Sh170,000.
The officer allegedly assured the complainant that the payment would guarantee a favourable probation report, paving the way for a non-custodial sentence instead of imprisonment.
EACC said it mounted a sting operation that culminated in the arrest of the two suspects while they were allegedly receiving Sh150,000 from the complainant.
The suspects are being held at Nyeri Central Police Station and are expected to be processed at the EACC Central Regional Office before being presented in court.
The Commission said the arrests underscore its continued crackdown on corruption within the justice sector, particularly bribery at service delivery points.
“EACC reiterates its commitment to tackling bribery at service delivery points and enhancing the quality of public services for all citizens,” the Commission said in a statement.
The arrests come amid renewed efforts by the anti-graft agency to root out corruption within public institutions, including the Judiciary, where officials accused of abusing their positions for personal gain have increasingly come under scrutiny.