High Court Upholds Ferdinand Waititu’s 12-Year Corruption Sentence

The High Court has upheld former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s 12-year prison sentence for corruption, dismissing his application to review the conviction and sentence.

Justice Lucy Njuguna ruled that Waititu’s request lacked a sufficient legal basis, agreeing with the Director of Public Prosecutions that there were no errors in the original trial. The judge directed that the pending appeal be concluded within four months and warned that any delays could lead to the appeal being struck out.

Waititu was convicted in February alongside four co-accused for receiving Sh25 million in bribes from Charles Chege Mbuthia, the director of Testimony Enterprises Ltd. The payments were linked to a Sh588 million road construction tender awarded in 2018 by the Kiambu County Government. 

The court imposed a fine of Sh53.5 million or, in default, a 12-year custodial sentence.

In addition to the financial and custodial penalties, the anti-corruption court barred Waititu from holding public office for seven years, citing violations of ethical standards and failure to adhere to the principles of public service. 

The court found that he had played a key role in manipulating the procurement process for personal gain.