Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has suffered another major blow after the High Court declined to overturn his 12-year imprisonment in connection with a Ksh588 million graft scandal.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, September 16, Lady Justice Lucy Njuguna dismissed an application filed by Waititu on August 28, 2025, in which he sought to quash his sentence. The court sided with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who argued that the appeal lacked solid legal grounds.
The former governor, popularly known as Babayao, had been granted temporary freedom last month after securing bond terms as he pursued his appeal. However, he failed to meet the stringent condition of depositing a Ksh53 million bank guarantee.
The February 2025 judgment that landed him in Kamiti Maximum Prison found him guilty of irregularly receiving Ksh25 million through a flawed tender. He was sentenced to 12 years behind bars or pay a fine of Ksh53.5 million.
Additionally, Waititu was barred from holding public office for 10 years. His wife, Susan Wangare, was also convicted in the same case and ordered to pay a Ksh500,000 fine or serve a one-year jail term.
Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki, who delivered the original ruling, said Waititu’s conduct betrayed public trust and undermined principles of good governance.
Waititu’s legal troubles date back to his exit from office in 2019, with this latest ruling tightening the noose on one of Kiambu’s most controversial political figures.
