Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been sentenced to a Ksh21 million fine or 13 years in prison in a high-profile money-laundering case. The anti-corruption court handed down the ruling, ordering the prison terms to run concurrently, meaning Waititu will serve 5 years in prison if he fails to pay the fine. The financial penalty against the former governor breaks down across three separate charges.
The court also sentenced Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangari Ndung’u, along with several co-accused individuals and companies tied to the fraudulent county tender. Principal Magistrate Thomas Barasa delivered the ruling, stating that the penalties reflected each accused person’s role in the offenses. The court handed out substantial fines across all three primary counts, with some defendants facing millions of shillings in penalties.
In Count 10, the court fined Saika Two Estate Developers Limited and Testimony Enterprises Limited Ksh16 million each. Fourth accused Charles Mbuthia Chege received a Ksh10 million fine, carrying a five-year prison term in default. Fifth accused Beth Wangeci Mburu received a Ksh2 million fine or two years in prison. The court also handed down fines to Waititu and his wife on various counts.
Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangari, charged as a person trading as Bienvenue Delta Hotel, received a Ksh2 million fine, with a two-year prison term in default. The court fined Chege Ksh6 million or four years in prison and Mburu Ksh2 million or two years in prison. Testimony Enterprises Limited faced an additional Ksh12 million fine on Count 11.
Alongside Waititu’s Ksh5 million fine, carrying a four-year prison term in default, the court fined Saika Two Estate Developers Limited and Testimony Enterprises Limited Ksh8 million each. Chege received a Ksh5 million fine or four years in prison, while Mburu received a Ksh2 million fine or two years in prison. The court also issued a strict timeline for corporate fines.
Magistrate Barasa ordered the corporate entities involved to settle their monetary penalties within two weeks of the judgment. The corporate accused persons shall pay their respective fines imposed upon them within 14 days from the date of this ruling, in default the fines shall be recovered in accordance with Section 3(34) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The court sentenced the companies separately from the individuals, with the law setting a maximum fine of Ksh25 million or an amount equal to the value of the property involved, whichever is higher. Courts retain the discretion to scale penalties based on individual circumstances and proportional guilt.
Key points
- Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu faces a Ksh21 million fine or 13 years in prison.
- The court handed out substantial fines across all three primary counts.
- Corporate entities have 14 days to settle their monetary penalties.
