Controller of Budget Margret Nyakang’o expresses fear for her life

By Antynet Ford

Controller of Budget Margret Nyakang’o has expressed fear for her life as a result of her work of expressing corruption in counties and the National government.

Nyakang’o told the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) on Tuesday that she continues to feel unsafe while carrying out her duties.

“Sometimes I feel unsafe but the law has protected me. I’m here to carry out my duties under the law. The fact that I hold a protected office was ignored and I was abducted to Mombasa, yes members, I was abducted, but I’m here in the office without fear or favor.” she added.

The Controller of Budget referenced her arrest in December last year for allegedly defrauding and operating a Sacco without a Licence, which was viewed as a plot by unknown individuals to remove her from office.

While pointing out other challenges she faces when fulfilling her mandate, the Controller of Budget cited a lack of enough funds allocated to her office.

“The auditor general’s office gets close to Ksh.9 billion while we only get Ksh.700 million to work with for the whole year and yet we cover the whole country.” Nyakang’o noted.

Known for her hard-hitting exposés against the government’s extravagance and policies, Nyakang’o is no stranger to airing out corrupt dealings that occur across the country.

She crossed paths with the police in December last year when her vehicle was stopped by unknown individuals who wanted her to record a statement in Nairobi’s Central Business District.

The COB was later taken on a 7-hour trip from Nairobi to Mombasa whereby she was handed over to the local DCI officers and later taken to court for prosecution.

She was later released on a Ksh.500,000 cash bail.