Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife Susan Wangari arrive in court on July 28. Photo/CFM.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 – Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife Susan are out of prison after paying cash bails ordered by the court on Monday in a Sh588 million corruption case.
Prison officials said Waititu was freed after paying Sh15 million while his wife was released after paying Sh4 million.
Waititu, who was given an alternative bond of Sh30 million bond, was remanded at IndustriaL Area Remand Prison while his wife was at Lang’ata Women’s prison.
On Wednesday, Waititu and his wife filed an application seeking a review of the bail terms granted to them, saying they were unreasonably too high.
Through their lawyer Tom Ojienda, Waititu, his wife and other co-accused persons said the bail and bond given were ‘excessive and amount to a constructive denial of bail.’
Ojienda said Waititu was particularly angered by the decision to lock him out office, in what he argued amount to “his effective removal from office in violation of the constitution.”
Also sought for interpretation was whether anti-corruption magistrate Lawrence Mugambi misdirected himself in locking Waititu out of office.
Waititu was charged with abuse of office and other corruption-related charges after the couple’s company Saika Two Estate Developers was accused of receiving Sh25 million in kickbacks from Testimony enterprises Limited Contractor—a firm contracted by the county to develop roads through an irregular tendering process.
The couple was charged alongside county officials who awarded the tender, a roads engineer and two directors of the firm that won the tender.
Waititu and the officials were ordered to stay out of office until their case is heard and determined.
Kiambu Deputy Governor James Nyoro has already declared that he has taken charge of the county affairs.
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