Nairobi, October 15- Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has suffered a major legal setback after the High Court upheld his 12-year prison sentence in a KSh 588.7 million corruption case, while the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) pursues the recovery of an additional KSh 170 million allegedly linked to the scandal.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Justice Rose Ougo upheld the convictions and sentences of Waititu and his co-accused, including his wife, Susan Wangari Ndung’u, former Kiambu County official Luka Mwangi Wahinya and businessman Charles Chege Mbuthia.
The judge also overturned the earlier acquittals of Waititu and his wife on money laundering charges, paving the way for their sentencing on the additional offences. The four are expected to appear before the Anti-Corruption Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 19, for mitigation and sentencing.
The court further upheld a 10-year ban barring the convicted individuals from holding public office, while ordering them back into custody. Any additional prison terms imposed for the money laundering offences will run concurrently with their existing sentences.
The latest ruling comes as Waititu faces the forfeiture of assets valued at approximately KSh 131.2 million following a separate unexplained wealth case decided in December 2025.
The assets include properties in Thindigua valued at about KSh 64 million, a Caterpillar machine worth approximately KSh 11 million, two motor vehicles, property linked to his wife valued at KSh 3 million and property associated with Saika Two Estate Developers Limited worth about KSh 52 million.
Meanwhile, the EACC is pursuing a separate civil case seeking to recover KSh 170 million from Waititu and Testimony Enterprises Limited, the company linked to the disputed road construction tender. The case remains pending before the court.
The corruption case stems from a KSh 588.7 million contract awarded by the Kiambu County Government to upgrade gravel roads to bitumen standards in Thika, Limuru, Gatundu North, Juja and Ruiru during the 2017/2018 financial year.
Waititu and his co-accused were convicted in February 2025 of offences including conflict of interest, abuse of office and procurement-related violations. The latest decision marks another setback for the former governor as authorities pursue both criminal convictions and the recovery of alleged proceeds of corruption.
