This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
On July 29, 2019, Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, along with his wife Susan Wangari and eight county staff, were charged with six counts of corruption over irregular award of tenders worth Sh588 million.
Following their arrest, Waititu spent 48 hours in a cell before being granted Sh15 million cash bail by Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi on July 30, 2019.
However, the court imposed tough conditions on Waititu and his co-accused, including a ban on accessing their places of work to ensure the integrity of the trial.
The court also ordered all accused persons to deposit their travel documents in court and directed the immigration department to confirm that some of the accused do not hold passports.
Additionally, the court prohibited the accused from interfering with witnesses or tampering with evidence.
The case will be mentioned on August 26, 2019.
Waititu's ban from office follows a ruling by Justice Mumbi Ngugi last week, which stated that governors charged with economic crimes should step aside and allow their deputies to take over.
As a result, Waititu's deputy, Dr. James Nyoro, will be taking over the running of the central Kenya county.
