Ex-Kiambu Governor Waititu Released on Sh53 Million Bond

Former governor freed pending appeal after High Court grants third bail application

Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been released from prison on a Sh53 million bond pending the hearing of his appeal against a corruption conviction.

High Court Judge Lucy Njuguna granted the bond application on Thursday, reversing her previous decisions that had denied Waititu’s two earlier bids for release.

Waititu has been serving a prison sentence since February when he was convicted on Sh588 million graft charges and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment or a fine of Sh52.5 million. He was also barred from holding any political office for seven years.

The former governor had filed an appeal challenging his conviction, but his initial requests for bail were dismissed by the court, which assured that the appeal would be heard expeditiously.

In his latest application, Waititu sought to amend his petition to introduce new evidence and additional grounds to support his case. The court allowed the amendment, giving him a fresh opportunity to argue for his release while continuing to appeal the conviction.

The corruption case centered on conflict of interest charges relating to road construction tenders in Kiambu County worth Sh588 million.

Waititu’s wife, Susan Ndung’u, was handed a one-year prison term or a fine of Sh500,000 in the same case. Both were convicted on graft-related charges but acquitted on three counts of money laundering.

Ferdinand Waititu while still in prison.

Co-accused Charles Chege, director of Testimony Enterprises Limited, was sentenced to nine years in jail or a Sh295 million fine. Beth Wangeci, the company’s second director, was fined Sh1 million or sentenced to one year in prison.

The money in question arose from procurement tenders for road construction in Kiambu County. The court found Waititu guilty of conflict of interest in the awarding and execution of the contracts.

Waititu served as Kiambu Governor from 2017 until his impeachment in January 2020. His release comes as he continues to challenge the conviction through the appellate process.

The former governor’s legal team successfully argued that the amended application merited consideration, leading to Thursday’s bond approval after months of incarceration.