The Nyahururu Anti-Corruption Courts have slapped former Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka Mwangi with a two-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of procurement irregularities and abuse of office. He was given an option of paying a fine of Ksh1 million.
Chief Magistrate Hezekiah Keago on Thursday ruled that the former governor would serve two years in prison or pay a Ksh500,000 fine for wilfully failing to comply with procurement laws and another two years or pay a Ksh500,000 fine for abuse of office.
In a statement on Thursday, March 20, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) confirmed that the former Governor was sentenced alongside Grace Wanjiru Gitonga, the former County Executive Committee Member for Water, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources.
"Chief Magistrate Hezekiah Keago ruled that the sentences would run concurrently if Waithaka fails to pay the imposed fine," ODPP stated.
Gitonga was sentenced to two years or pay a Ksh500,000 fine for engaging in a project without prior planning. She was also given another two-year sentence or a Ksh500,000 fine for wilfully failing to comply with procurement laws.
The duo, the former governor and his CECM, were convicted of an offence they committed on April 30, 2014, in their capacity as public officers responsible for managing public property.
They unlawfully procured the services of an engineering consulting firm without a procurement plan for the 2013/2014 financial year.
"He awarded the company a contract for the development of the County Water Master Plan and the design review of the Ol Kalou Town Sewerage System without following the required procurement procedures," ODPP stated.
Furthermore, the law courts on March 13, 2025, found the former governor guilty of office misuse after the court found that in April 2014, he used his office to improperly confer a benefit to the consulting company.
"The court heard that on April 30, 2014, at the Nyandarua County Government offices, the two, being public officers responsible for the management of public property, failed to comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2006," court documents read in part.
Waithaka is the third governor to be convicted of graft charges in the past two years, joining former Samburu County Governor Moses Lenolkulaal and former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu.
Last month, Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or pay a fine of Ksh53.5 million after being found guilty of irregularly awarding tenders.
Additionally, Waititu was sentenced to serve five years in jail or pay a fine of Ksh2.5 million and a mandatory fine of Ksh51 million
