Several high-profile politicians found themselves on the wrong side of the law in 2025, facing allegations ranging from corruption and hate speech to document forgery.
Below are seven politicians who were arrested during the year and the allegations that led to their arrests.
Hillary Barchok
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok was arrested twice in 2025 on allegations of graft.
Governor Barchok was first arrested by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on February 6 at his home in Bomet County over the fraudulent payment of Ksh1,451,882,576 to senior county government employees.
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The UDA governor was taken to the EACC South Rift Regional Offices in Nakuru County to record a statement.
Barchok was arrested again on September 1, 2025, after being questioned at the EACC headquarters over allegations of conflict of interest, money laundering, unlawful acquisition of public property, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
The Bomet governor was released on a cash bail of Ksh5 million or an alternative bond of Ksh15 million.
Wycliffe Wangamati
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati was arrested on September 1 alongside 10 other co-accused in connection with irregular procurement procedures and embezzlement of public funds during his 2018–2022 tenure.
Wangamati was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on September 2 and charged with graft.
According to the prosecution, he allegedly used a network of private companies, many linked to him or his associates, as conduits for siphoning county resources.
He denied the allegations, terming the charges politically motivated and malicious.
The former governor was released on a KSh5 million bond or an alternative cash bail of KSh1.5 million.
George Natembeya
Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya was arrested by EACC officers on Monday, May 19, at his Nairobi residence over the alleged embezzlement of county funds amounting to Ksh1.4 billion.
Natembeya was taken to the EACC headquarters for questioning before being arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts.
The alleged irregularities are believed to have occurred during the 2022/2023 to 2024/2025 financial years.
He was released on May 20 on a Ksh500,000 cash bail or an alternative bond of Ksh1 million.
As part of his release conditions, Natembeya was barred from accessing his office for 60 days and ordered not to travel outside the country without court approval.
Kimani Wamatangi
Kiambu Governor Paul Kimani Wamatangi was arrested on April 15, 2025, at his home over alleged corruption following a raid by EACC officials at his residence and office.
During the raid, detectives recovered Ksh12 million and USD 13,000 in cash from the governor’s home.
According to the EACC, the operation was part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement of public funds and conflict of interest involving the governor and nine senior county officials.
Wamatangi was taken to the EACC headquarters at Integrity Centre, Nairobi, where he was questioned alongside the other officials before being released.
Speaking to the media afterwards, the governor dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
“It is purely political intimidation. There is no reason why more than 50 police officers should raid my home and nearly 200 be deployed to various ministers’ offices in my government,” Wamatangi said.
Peter Salasya
Mumias East MP Peter Salasya was arrested on Friday, May 16, in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, over allegations of hate speech.
The DAP-K lawmaker was transported to Nairobi, where he spent several days in police custody before being arraigned on Monday, May 19, at the Milimani Magistrate’s Court.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Salasya was arrested over remarks posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
“Hon. Peter Kalerwa Salasya is accused of publishing inciteful remarks likely to stir ethnic hatred,” the ODPP stated, adding that the alleged offence occurred on May 10, 2025.
Salasya pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of Ksh200,000.
George Koimburi
Juja MP George Koimburi was arrested on Tuesday, February 18, over allegations of forging academic certificates.
Koimburi was apprehended shortly after leaving his residence along Kenyatta Road in Juja and taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters for questioning.
In court, prosecutors told Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Mwanamkuu Mwakwambirwa that Koimburi deliberately forged a Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) certificate in 1994.
He was also accused of forging a university project purportedly from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Koimburi denied the charges and was released on a cash bail of Ksh200,000.
George Sunkuyia
Kajiado West MP George Sunkuyia was arrested by EACC detectives on Tuesday, May 27, over allegations of forging a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate.
The UDA lawmaker allegedly presented a forged KCSE certificate to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in January 2012, claiming it had been issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).
According to the charge sheet, Sunkuyia knowingly and fraudulently presented a forged KCSE certificate bearing Serial No. 2988068, with a mean grade of C+, to the Registrar of Academic Affairs at JKUAT.
He was taken to the EACC headquarters at Integrity Centre before being arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts.
