This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
On July 26, 2019, Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji ordered the arrest and prosecution of Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and 12 other county officials over graft allegations.
The officials are facing charges of irregular award of tenders worth Sh588 million and embezzlement of public funds. The arrest order comes days after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) tabled damning evidence against Governor Waititu.
According to the EACC, Governor Waititu used money from a kickback paid by a contractor to partly pay for a hotel he bought in Nairobi's prime University Way. The EACC released a trail of bank transfers aimed at revealing that the company that sold Waititu the Delta Hotel, known as Lake Naivasha Resort, received Sh6 million from a road contractor who was awarded the tender under alleged influence of the Governor.
Waititu also bought another prime building located at the intersection of Biashara Street and Koinange Street, worth hundreds of millions. Questions were raised earlier over the source of the money that the governor used to pay for the two buildings.
According to the EACC, Governor Waititu received Sh25.6 million, alleged to be kickbacks out of the Sh221.4 million the county paid to the contractor, known as Testimony Enterprises Limited. The money was channelled through proxies, mainly family members including his wife and daughter.
