This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
On July 28, 2019, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife Susan Wangari arrived at the Milimani Law Court to face graft charges. The couple had surrendered themselves to EACC detectives over allegations of tender irregularities for upgrading of roads worth Sh588m and embezzlement of public funds.
Waititu and his co-accused appeared before Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi on Monday to answer to corruption charges. The governor and his wife were arrested on Sunday after spending a night in police custody.
The accused are currently before the Anti-Corruption Court at Milimani as they await court’s ruling on their bail applications. They are facing three charges of conflict of interest and two of dealing with suspect property.
Others also charged are five members of the tender committee who evaluated the contract in question. They are Zacharia Njenga Mbugua, Joyce Ngina Musyoka, Simon Kabocho Kang’ethe, Anselm Gachukia Wanjiku and Samuel Muigai Mugo.
According to EACC officials, four others were still being sought as of Sunday and that they were expected to surrender.
On Sunday, Governor Waititu arrived in one car in the company of his lawyer, was being held in a cell inside the building while other suspects were detained at Kilimani Police Station.
Waititu’s lawyer, Kipchumba Karori, said his client had been ‘out of town’ since Friday evening when news of his pending arrest broke.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji on Friday ordered for the arrest of Waititu and his wife for allegedly receiving Sh51.2 million that investigators claim to be the proceeds of a tender worth Sh588 million awarded irregularly to M/s Testimony Enterprises Ltd.
The company was awarded the contract by the county government to provide services and supply goods by way of a request for proposal. A total of Sh74.2 million has so far been paid to the contractor.
