Governor's money laundering charges revived

Kenya’s High Court upheld the corruption convictions of former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu and overturned his acquittal on money laundering charges linked to a Sh588m ($4.5m) county road tender, Capital FM reports. Recently, Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court judge Rose Ougo upheld the convictions and sentences of Waititu, his wife, Susan Wangari Ndungu, and associates Luka Mwangi Wahinya, the county’s former roads chief officer, and Charles Chege Mbuthia, a director of contractor Testimony Enterprises. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) welcomed the reinstated charges as a key element of its efforts to follow the money. The case arose from 2019 investigations into allegations the Kiambu County Government irregularly awarded Testimony Enterprises the contract to upgrade gravel roads. Waititu and his co-accused were convicted in February 2025 of offences including conflict of interest, dealing with suspicious property, abuse of office, fraudulent procurement practices and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws. A separate EACC civil suit to recover Sh170m ($ 1309 303) from Waititu and Testimony Enterprises as alleged proceeds of corruption remained pending. In an unexplained wealth case, a court in December 2025 ordered the forfeiture of assets worth about Sh131.2m ($ 1001 232) linked to Waititu and associates. The matter was scheduled to return to court on 19 October for mitigation and sentencing on the reinstated charges.