Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu was on Thursday sentenced to 12 years in prison or pay a fine of Ksh53.5 million.
Waititu was sentenced to serve 5 years in jail or pay a fine of Ksh2.5 million. Additionally, the court posed a mandatory fine of Ksh51 million in default to serve another 7 years in prison after he was convicted for irregularly awarding tenders in Kiambu County in February 2018 during his tenure as the County boss.
Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki also directed that Waititu's wife Susan Wangare pay a fine of Ksh500,000 or serve a sentence of one year in prison. However, the magistrate directed that the terms will run concurrently.
Further, the magistrate found that the conduct of Waititu could not be forgiven since his acts undermined the tenets of good governance.
''This case is a typical example of a breach of public trust by the former Governor and the co-accused. The offending acts of the accused persons were deliberate, inexcusable, and undermine the tenants of good governance,'' Nzioka stated.
''In this case, the conduct of the accused persons shows that they derived benefits from their criminal actions. Their common motive was enrichment from public funds at the expense of service delivery to the people,'' Nzioka ruled.
Luka Mwangi Wahinya (former Chief Officer, Roads, Transport, Public Works and Utilities) was ordered to serve 2 years in prison or pay a fine of Ksh1 million shillings and a mandatory fine of Ksh20 million in default to serve 5 years in prison.
Furthermore, the directors of Testimony Enterprises Limited Charles Chege Mbuthia and Beth Wangeci Mburu were jailed for 4 years or pay a fine of Ksh2 million shillings with a mandatory fine of Ksh294 million and 3 years in jail or pay a fine of Ksh1.4 million shillings respectively.
The Chief Magistrate also faulted the accused over the forgery of academic documents including certificates, pointing out that it was not in good taste at a time when young people are faced with unemployment.
''A matter of concern to me is the deliberate misrepresentation and forgery of academic credentials of young graduates and at a time when unemployment is a challenge to the society,'' he added.
Also, the court barred Waititu, wife, and the co-accused from serving in any public office for ten years.
Meanwhile, Nzioka ordered that key documents that had been confiscated by the prosecution during the investigations, including passports, cash bail, and title deeds, be returned to the accused.
Additionally, he directed that Waititu and the co-accused be given a 14-day window to appeal both the ruling and the judgment.
The sentencing follows a ruling on Wednesday where the Chief Magistrate found Waititu, together with the co-accused, guilty of having committed several crimes on various accounts among them a conflict of interest, award of tenders without the approval of the County Assembly of Kiambu, and forgery of documents among others.
During the ruling, Waititu was found guilty of conflict of interest and dealing with suspect property.
Following the ruling on Wednesday, Waititu together with the convicted persons had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, arguing that they had suffered immensely since their arraignment and deserved a second chance.
