Five members of Nyeri county public service board accused of corruption have denied the charges.
The members of the board, whose mandate is to hire employees of the devolved government, faced four charges of abuse of office and conspiracy to commit corruption.
Former chairperson Alice Muita, secretary Anthony Ndonga and members Beatrice Wanjiru, Geoffrey Mahinda and Shellomith Nderitu, were accused of irregularly hiring two ward administrators.
Mr Muriithi and Mr Njogu are not accused persons in the case and were not present in court.
But the board staff were charged alongside two officials of the county government, Mr Johnson Njogu Kiongo and Mr Jackson Kibutu Thagana, who work as Ward Administrators.
The board members denied the charges and were freed on Sh500,000 bond each.
The two co-accused were also released on similar bond terms after denying charges of forging academic documents and uttering false documents.
While committing the seven accused persons to bond terms, the court warned them against interfering with the prosecution witnesses and the ongoing investigations.
They were also blocked from accessing their offices without the escort of an officer from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) or police.
The magistrate also directed the accused to deposit their travel documents in court.
The prosecutor, Mr Gitonga Murang’a, was directed by the court to supply defence lawyer Wahome Gikonyo with original copies of the witness statements and other documents he plans to rely on during the hearing.
The case will be heard from October 9, 2018.
[COUNTIES] Nyeri County officials deny graft charges, freed on bond: County public service board staff in the soup over irregular hiring. https://t.co/veJvOELe8Z
— Breaking News (@News_Kenya) September 26, 2018