Migori Speaker Boaz, 14 co-accused freed on Sh300,000 bail each in graft case

Migori County Assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth (right) talks to MCAs when they appeared at the Kisumu Law courts to answer to corruption charges. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

A Kisumu court has granted Migori County Assembly Speaker Boaz Okoth and his 14 co-accused a Sh300,000 cash bail each or an alternative bond of Sh3 million each.

Making the ruling on Wednesday, Kisumu Chief Magistrate Peter Gesore set mention of the case for February 15, 2021 and hearing on March 22 next year.

Boaz Okoth, his deputy Matthew Chacha and 13 other officials are facing corruption charges, which they all denied yesterday.

The 15 officials spent the night in police custody.

They are facing 11 counts among them; abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption and fraudulent acquisition of public property together with suppliers and contractors, failure to comply with procurement laws and mismanagement of public funds.

The Speaker, Okoth is accused of embezzling Sh10 million from the Migori County Assembly coffers, alongside 10 others.

The Assembly has not been without its fair share of drama this year.

In October, some MCAs planned Okoth's ouster claiming that he was frustrating the impeachment of Governor Okoth Obado.

The MCAs argued that Mr Obado's impeachment was taking longer than anticipated because the Speaker is angling to succeed him in 2022 and hopes to ride on his supporters.

A month before, Boaz had claimed that his life was in danger after unknown people attacked him in his Kisumu home for allegedly hosting MCAs for a meeting.

The assembly has since been coupled with divisions and tension, with some MCAs said to have fled the county for safety.