A Milimani Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu to 12 years in prison or a fine of Ksh53.5 million after finding him guilty of multiple corruption charges.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki also ordered Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangare, to pay a Ksh500,000 fine or serve a one-year prison sentence. However, he ruled that the sentences would run concurrently.
During the ruling, Magistrate Nzioki emphasized that Waititu’s actions had severely undermined good governance and public trust.
“This case exemplifies a serious breach of public trust by the former governor and his co-accused. Their actions were deliberate, inexcusable, and violated the principles of good governance,” he stated.
The court found Waititu guilty of conflict of interest, awarding tenders without the Kiambu County Assembly’s approval, and forging documents. Nzioki ruled that the former governor and his associates had personally benefited from their criminal actions, enriching themselves at the expense of service delivery to the public.
“A matter of concern to me is the deliberate misrepresentation and forgery of academic credentials of young graduates at a time when unemployment is a challenge to society,” the magistrate noted.
All convicts were also barred from holding any public office for ten years.
Following the ruling, Waititu and his co-accused pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, arguing that they had already suffered since their arraignment and deserved a second chance. However, the court dismissed their plea.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Nzioki ordered the prosecution to return key documents, including passports and title deeds, that had been confiscated during the investigation. He also granted Waititu and his co-accused a 14-day window to appeal both the ruling and the judgment.
