Kiambu Governor Waititu Money Laundering Conviction: KSh21M Fine, Concurrent Prison Term

• Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu was fined KSh21 million for money laundering related to a KSh588.7 million road tender.
• If he defaults on the fine, he faces an alternative prison term of five years, as the 13-year total is concurrent.
• These money laundering sentences will run concurrently with a pre-existing 12-year prison term from a separate corruption conviction in February 2025.
• The convictions followed a successful State appeal that overturned earlier acquittals, with High Court Judge Rose Ougo finding evidence of illicit fund transfers.
• EACC investigations revealed Waititu corruptly received KSh25 million from Testimony Enterprises Limited, the company awarded the tender.

The court directed that these money laundering sentences run concurrently with the 12-year prison term he received in February 2025 in a separate corruption case, meaning the latest convictions will not add to his existing time behind bars.

Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been ordered to pay a KSh21 million fine following his conviction on money laundering charges. Should he fail to remit this amount, the court has stipulated an alternative prison sentence totaling 13 years. However, these prison terms are set to run concurrently, meaning that if the fines are not paid, Mr. Waititu would effectively serve five years in jail.

The financial penalty is distributed across three distinct counts: KSh10 million for Count 10, KSh6 million for Count 11, and KSh5 million for Count 12. The corresponding alternative prison terms are five years for Count 10, four years for Count 11, and another four years for Count 12. The court's directive ensures that the longest of these default sentences, which is five years, dictates the actual time served for these specific money laundering convictions.

Crucially, the court directed that these money laundering sentences run concurrently with the 12-year prison term he received in February 2025 in a separate corruption case, meaning the latest convictions will not add to his existing time behind bars. This arrangement ensures that the former Kiambu Governor will serve the longer of the concurrent sentences, which remains the 12-year term from his earlier conviction, rather than an accumulated total.

The money laundering convictions stem from a controversial KSh588.7 million road construction tender awarded by the Kiambu County Government during the 2017/2018 financial year. Investigations conducted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Mr. Waititu had corruptly received KSh25 million from Testimony Enterprises Limited, the company at the center of the contract.

The KSh588.7 million contract was specifically for the upgrade of gravel roads to bitumen standards across several areas within Kiambu County, including Thika, Limuru, Gatundu North, Juja, and Ruiru. Beyond Mr. Waititu, the case also implicated his wife, Susan Wangari Ndung’u, along with Luka Mwangi Wahinya, who served as the former Kiambu County Chief Officer for Roads, and businessman Charles Chege Mbuthia, whose company, Testimony Enterprises Limited, was directly linked to the disputed road construction agreement.

These money laundering convictions represent a significant legal victory for the State, as they followed a successful appeal that challenged an earlier decision to acquit Mr. Waititu and other co-accused individuals of the charges. In October 2026, High Court Judge Rose Ougo overturned the initial acquittals on three money laundering counts.

Judge Ougo’s ruling concluded that the prosecution had successfully demonstrated that funds connected to the contentious road tender were illicitly transferred through various companies associated with the accused parties. This recent sentencing builds upon a prior corruption conviction from February 2025, where Mr. Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or an approximate KSh53 million fine. In that same corruption case, Susan Wangari Ndung’u, his wife, also received a conviction, leading to a sentence of one year in prison or a KSh500,000 fine.

This case underscores the severe financial and custodial penalties for money laundering and corruption in Kenya, even for former public officials, and highlights the EACC's successful pursuit of convictions through appeals. Lawyers advising clients involved in public tenders or facing corruption allegations should be aware of the robust enforcement environment and the potential for concurrent sentencing in multi-count convictions.

Source: Original reporting via Capital News