The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has approved bribery charges against Kangema Senior Principal Magistrate Martin Kinyua Mutegi and Senior Probation Officer Julius Irungu Njogu, paving the way for their immediate prosecution over alleged corruption.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ODPP said it had independently reviewed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigation file and found sufficient evidence to charge the two with receiving a bribe under the Anti-Bribery Act.

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Igonga subsequently directed that the suspects be arraigned without delay before a court of competent jurisdiction.

According to investigators, the two allegedly solicited and received a KSh150,000 bribe from a litigant in exchange for influencing the outcome of a criminal case. EACC had initially arrested the pair on July 21 before forwarding the investigation file to the ODPP.

The prosecution follows the probation officer's re-arrest ahead of his appearance before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court. Meanwhile, the magistrate reportedly went into hiding before later admitting himself to hospital, even as anti-graft detectives continued efforts to bring him before court.

The case comes days after Chief Justice Martha Koome suspended Mutegi from judicial duties and the Judicial Service Commission initiated disciplinary proceedings over the allegations.