A former senior official in the Taita Taveta County Government has been charged in court over allegations of irregularly obtaining public money and failing to account for more than Ksh.12 million during his time in office.
Geoffrey Kimonge Mbogo, who previously served as the county’s Director of Political Affairs, appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court in Voi on Wednesday after being arrested by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The anti-graft agency said its investigations found that Mbogo allegedly acquired public funds unlawfully and could not account for Ksh.12,458,990 while serving in the county administration.
Following completion of the probe, the case file was submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved criminal charges against the former county official.
Court records indicate that Mbogo pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
According to the prosecution, the first charge relates to the alleged acquisition of Ksh.8,303,021 between November 2015 and December 2016.
Prosecutors claim the money was obtained through claims linked to activities that were said to have taken place in various locations but which allegedly never occurred.
The charge sheet states that he allegedly obtained the funds for various activities he purported had taken place in different locations, which the prosecution said was a fact you knew to be false.
In a separate count, the former director is accused of misleading the county government through applications for imprest warrants amounting to Ksh.8,303,021.
Prosecutors allege the requests were made for programmes and engagements that had not been conducted.
The state contends that the county administration was misled into releasing funds on the understanding that the activities had been carried out as claimed.
After taking his plea, the court granted Mbogo release on a cash bail of Ksh.1 million or an alternative bond of Ksh.2 million with one surety of the same amount.
The court also ordered him to surrender his passport and directed that he should not travel outside the country without permission from the court. The case is scheduled to return to court on July 1, 2026, for pre-trial directions.
The prosecution marks another anti-corruption case targeting former public officials as authorities continue to pursue accountability over the management of public resources. The court process is expected to determine whether the allegations can be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
