Margaret Nyakang'o Recounts 7-Hour Traumatising Night Journey From Nairobi To Mombasa After Arrest

• Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang'o disclosed that she was arrested in Nairobi on Monday, December 4, after being trailed by detectives
• Nyakang'o said officers told her she needed to record a statement at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD)
• On reaching CBK offices in CBD, she never wrote a statement, but she was ferried to Mombasa at night by road

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang'o has spoken about her dramatic arrest by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives.

Initially, it was said Nyakang'o was arrested in Mombasa county while attending an official function.

However, speaking to Citizen TV, the embattled CoB said she was arrested in Nairobi before being ferried to Mombasa at night.

What Margaret Nyakang'o was told by DCI detectives

She narrated that on Monday, December 4, she had been out playing golf at Karen, but while making her way back home in her husband's company, they realised they were being followed.

On reaching home, the occupants of the vehicle that was trailing them informed her that she needed to record a statement at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).

She attempted to persuade the detectives to let her record the statement from her home office, but they insisted on her accompanying them to town.

At some point, one of the officers asked her to dress warmly, which made her realise she might be detained.

Nyakang'o was taken to the CBK at the Anti-Banking Fraud Unit, which is manned by DCI officers but she was never required to write a statement as she had earlier been informed.

The Controller of Budget said the officers told her that they were under firm instructions to take her to Mombasa.

She pleaded with the officers to allow her to get some food, saying she had not eaten the entire day. The detectives allowed her husband to get some food, which he bought even for the officers.

After eating, the officers took her on a long night journey to Mombasa by road, which they reached on Tuesday morning and was handed over to local DCI officers who later took her to court.

Nyakang'o said she is wondering who is after her, claiming her tribulations originated from a Sacco membership she abandoned as soon as she was appointed the Controller of Budget.

Meanwhile, a section of Kenyans termed her arrest political following her recent statements on misappropriation of public funds.

Narok senator Ledama Olekina wondered why the police had to wait seven years to arrest Nyakan'o.

"Welcome to Kenya, where the police take action on a complaint 7 years later … only crooks can survive in a rotten system," Olekina said.

Former presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame said her arrest was directly linked to her firm stand for the truth.

According to Kigame, Nyakang'o was paying the price for telling the truth about President William Ruto's government.

"How many years later Comrade? this feels like what happens when police stop you to look for mistakes on your car when you have none, and especially when you have complied. defending the truth is costly. But it is not in vain," Kigame said.