Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu could soon be free after agreeing to the court ruling on his bond terms.
During a court session on Tuesday, Principal Magistrate Rose Ndombi reaffirmed the existing bond terms in the offensive conduct case but emphasised that the High Court’s financial condition of Ksh53 million must be met first before he could be released.
As such, the former governor is expected to deposit a Ksh53 million bank guarantee for the offensive conduct case before he can be set free, and his bond conditions in his hate speech case shall remain active.
Waititu informed the court that he has already arranged for someone to deposit the guarantee on his behalf.
"This court has no objection to the defendant being released on earlier issued bond terms, subject to his complying with the other terms of the bond issued by the court," Judge Ndombi said.
Once the Ksh53 million is paid, he can stay free while his earlier bond conditions in the hate speech case remain active.
The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for January 15, 2026.
This ruling comes just over a month after the High Court denied his third bond review application, in which he sought the court to review his bond terms by substituting the Ksh53 million bank guarantee bond with cash deposits.
However, Justice Lucy Njuguna rejected his application, saying that granting such a request would slow the case.
“I will not vary those orders. Honestly, I did the best I could based on the material placed before me. You placed material that persuaded me, and I was gracious enough to grant those orders,” the judge stated.
“That’s why I gave 120 days, and for the record, the 120 days start from today. It’s on that basis that I said no more fresh applications should be made so that we concentrate on the appeal and get it out of the way."
Waititu was convicted in February for failing to safeguard public funds after allegedly irregularly receiving Ksh25 million from a company following an unlawful tender award.
He was ordered to either pay a fine of Ksh53.5 million or serve 12 years in prison, which he has been serving since, while appealing for a bond review.
