This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On July 25, 2019, DPP Noordin Haji ordered the arrest of Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife over allegations of embezzling half a billion shillings of taxpayer money. However, the couple was nowhere to be found, having abandoned their homes and phones.
It has since emerged that Waititu was hiding at the home of a top Jubilee leader, where he was provided with a car and security. The governor's lawyers initially claimed he was out of town, but it was later revealed that he had been secretly staying at a hotel along Langata Road associated with a prominent government official.
According to sources, Waititu and his wife had booked the hotel room on Thursday, July 25, 2019, and remained there until Saturday, July 27, 2019. On Friday, July 26, 2019, the government official drove Waititu to the airport to receive President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was returning from a trip abroad. The president was forced to use the ordinary international arrivals gate after airport security spotted Waititu and the government official.
After the airport visit, Waititu and the government official returned to the hotel, where they remained until Sunday, July 28, 2019. It was on this day that Waititu and his wife presented themselves to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices, where they were eventually arrested.
It is worth noting that the government official involved in shielding Waititu has not been named, but their actions have raised questions about the level of influence and protection that some government officials enjoy.
