Samburu governor Moses Lenolkulal is a relieved man after High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi reduced the bail amount from Ksh100 million to Ksh10 million.
Ngugi went ahead to term the Ksh100 million bail handed to the county head as excessive.
The Samburu Governor's appeal also saw the court reduce the Ksh150 million bond to Ksh30 million with one surety of a similar amount.
Judge Ngugi indicated that the high bond and bail terms may well amount to a denial of bail.
"At any rate given the nature and circumstances of the case and the penalty provided in law, it is my view that the bond terms imposed on the applicants are excessive," the Judge stated.
"It has not been demonstrated that he is a flight risk and I note that the prosecution did not oppose the bail," she added.
Lenolkulal had been arrested alongside 14 others after investigations by the DPP established that the governor was illegally trading with the county government through Oryx Service Station for the supply of fuel since the March 27, 2013 to date.
It was alleged that he had acquired over Ksh84 million from the county coffers.
Several leaders had taken to social media to voice their opinions on the historic bail and bond term.
Among them was Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi who wrote, "When a court of law sets bail at Ksh100 million for Samburu Governor, it shows two things: 1).That the Magistrate is plainly incompetent and must be removed from office or 2). He is playing to the public gallery and is thus not exercising decisional independence"
Martha Karua, on the other hand, commended the court on the decision. While responding to Ahmednasir, the former Minister for Justice stated, "Its a bit overboard but better than the previous light bail terms that trivialize economic offences!"
Former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo had one short comment on the matter, "that is jailing before trial".
For Babu Owino, it was a matter that required serious looking into.
