Ferdinand Waititu Freed on Ksh.20 Million Bail as Court Reviews Roads Graft Case

Ferdinand Waititu Freed on Ksh.20 Million Bail as Court Reviews Roads Graft Case

Former Ferdinand Waititu has been released from custody at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison after the court reviewed his bail terms in an ongoing corruption case linked to a multimillion-shilling roads tender.

The former Kiambu County governor walked free on Thursday, March 5, following a ruling by the Milimani High Court that allowed a revision of the bail conditions pending the hearing and determination of his appeal in the Ksh588 million graft case.

Waititu had been held in prison after failing to meet earlier bail requirements issued during the legal proceedings. However, the High Court last month approved his request for a review of the conditions, allowing him to secure release on a reduced cash bail of Ksh20 million.

In addition to the cash bail, the court ordered that the former governor provide two sureties backed by property securities valued at not less than Ksh30 million each as part of the conditions for his release.

Waititu’s legal team had previously argued that the original bail conditions were difficult to meet, particularly the requirement for a bank guarantee, which they said had been complicated by the ongoing corruption case.

Addressing the court following the ruling, Waititu’s lawyer Jeremy Njenga confirmed that his client had successfully secured the revised bail terms and was no longer in custody.

“I am holding brief for the appellant who is now a free man,” Njenga told the court on Thursday, confirming that Waititu had been released from Kamiti prison after fulfilling the new conditions set by the court.

The development comes weeks after Waititu was convicted by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in a case involving the alleged irregular award of a roads tender worth hundreds of millions of shillings.

According to the prosecution, the former governor failed to safeguard public funds and unlawfully benefited from the tender process, allegedly receiving Ksh25 million from a company linked to the controversial contract.

In February, Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki ruled that Waititu had abused his office and failed to uphold the principles expected of a public official.

During sentencing, the court ordered Waititu to either pay a fine of Ksh53.5 million or serve a prison term of 12 years.

While delivering the judgment, the magistrate noted that the offences committed during Waititu’s tenure in office undermined public trust and weakened the principles of accountability in governance.

The case also implicated Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangare, who faced charges linked to the same corruption proceedings. The court ordered her to pay a fine of Ksh500,000 or serve a one-year jail sentence.

The former county chief has been entangled in legal battles with prosecutorial agencies since leaving office in 2019, when investigations into alleged misuse of county funds began.

Despite securing bail, Waititu’s legal fight is far from over. The High Court is expected to hear and determine his appeal challenging the conviction and sentence issued by the anti-corruption court.

Earlier court proceedings also saw Justice Njuguna dismiss an attempt by Waititu’s legal team to overturn the 12-year sentence, ruling that the appeal presented before the court lacked sufficient legal grounds.

For now, the former governor remains out on bail as the judiciary continues to handle one of the high-profile corruption cases involving a former county boss.

The outcome of the appeal is expected to determine whether Waititu will ultimately serve the jail term imposed by the anti-corruption court or succeed in overturning the conviction.

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Ferdinand Waititu Freed on Ksh.20 Million Bail as Court Reviews Roads Graft Case