Turkana Governor Lomurukai faces forgery charges
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomurukai.
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomurukai is set to be charged with forging academic papers, EACC North Rift boss confirmed Thursday.
The newly elected governor has been under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over his academic papers.
Governor Lomurukai moved to court earlier this month seeking anticipatory bail pending inter-partes hearing.
In a sworn affidavit supporting the motion dated October 11, under a certificate of urgency, the governor implored the court to stop EACC detectives from arresting him pending the hearing of the case.
Justice Erick Ogola yesterday issued an order restraining EACC from arresting the governor after depositing an anticipatory cash bail of Sh20,000. While issuing the order, Justice Ogola certified the application as urgent.
“The applicant is hereby admitted to anticipatory cash bail of Sh20,000 pending hearing of the case,” he noted.
The court directed parties to appear in court on October 27 for inter-partes hearing.
On Monday, residents of Turkana protested plans by EACC and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to arrest and charge their governor over allegations of forgery of academic papers.
They termed the move by the government agencies a political witch hunt.
This is after EACC on September 23 received a report from the ODPP that Mr Lomorukai was cleared by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) County Returning Officer Mr Amos Obonyo to vie on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket, had fraudulently acquired a university degree and Diploma in Counselling.
"This is purely a political witch-hunt. I may not have supported him during elections but he was duly elected by a majority and the will of the people has to be respected. Leave the Governor alone" a protesting resident said.
Addressing governors at an induction workshop in Mombasa recently, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua assured the county chiefs that they will no longer be subjected to arbitrary arrests and harassment by institutions such as EACC.
