Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has broken his silence hours after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) summoned him to appear at its headquarters at Integrity Centre on Monday, September 1, 2025, for him to be arraigned over corruption allegations.

In a strongly worded statement issued via his official Facebook page on Friday, August 29, 2025, Wangamati dismissed corruption allegations levelled against him as “politically motivated”.

Political witch-hunt

The former county chief claimed the charges were part of a wider smear campaign designed to tarnish his reputation and derail his political ambitions.

He argued that the prosecution recommendation by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was nothing more than “a political pamphlet dressed up as prosecution.”

“To my family, friends, supporters, and the great people of Bungoma, I seek to address you today on a matter of profound concern. As you may be aware by now, the Director of Public Prosecutions has recommended my prosecution—together with my family members, including my late brother—on egregious allegations of corruption,” Wangamati stated.

“For the record: these allegations are politically motivated and contrived from quarters well known to the people of Bungoma. They are as malicious as they are frivolous; irredeemably defective, irredeemably bogus, and devoid of any factual or legal merit. In fact, I daresay that what we are all reading today is a political pamphlet dressed up as prosecution, one whose singular aim is to run a smear campaign against my person, my candidature, and my credentials as a visionary leader, while clearing a path for a family political heir—a “Project” and an import from Nairobi.”

Wangamati to honour EACC summons

Wangamati confirmed that he would honour the summons and present himself at the Integrity Centre at 8:00 a.m. on Monday.

He further stressed that his decision to appear before investigators was not a show of submission but “an act of principle” and an opportunity to expose what he described as “Bungoma’s political rot of deceit, witch-hunt, and vendetta.”

“To the good people of Bungoma: on Monday, I shall honour the summons and present myself at Integrity Centre at exactly 8.00 am. This is neither an act of submission nor cowardice, but one of principle. It is part of what I must do—to cut and expose Bungoma’s political boil so that the festering rot of political deceit, witch-hunts, and vendettas may be exposed to the magical healing power of truth. I will go willingly and confidently because innocence does not cower before scrutiny,” he stated.

Wangamati urged Bungoma residents to remain steadfast, insisting that the case would eventually collapse under the weight of what he termed as “fabrications and contradictions.”

He framed the legal battle as part of a larger struggle to rescue the county from political manipulation.

EACC summons

EACC has summoned Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and Wangamati to appear before its headquarters on Monday, September 1, 2025, over corruption allegations.

In a statement issued on Friday, August 29, 2025, the Commission announced it had received consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge the two leaders alongside several associates and company directors.

According to EACC, Governor Barchok faces charges of conflict of interest in relation to dealings between the County Government of Bomet and a private company.

Wangamati, on the other hand, is accused by the EACC of embezzling public funds during his tenure.