A Kenyan court on Thursday sentenced former Kiambu County Governor Ferdinand Waititu to 12 years in prison for corruption, along with his wife and three others.
Waititu, one of the highest-profile officials convicted under the government’s anti-corruption campaign, was found guilty of fraud and conflicts of interest by the Nairobi court, according to a statement from the state prosecution service.
Prosecutors had accused him of corruption in the awarding of road construction contracts totaling 588 million Kenyan shillings ($4.5 million), as reported by the media.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki imposed a fine of 53 million Kenyan shillings ($400,000) on Waititu or a 12-year prison term if he fails to pay. He also barred the defendants from holding public office for 10 years.
The contracts were intended for paving gravel roads in Kiambu, where Waititu was impeached and removed from office in 2020.
Waititu’s wife was sentenced to one year in prison or a fine of 500,000 Kenyan shillings ($3,869).
Waititu becomes the second former governor to be jailed for corruption in Kenya, where many such cases are delayed for years, with some never resulting in prison sentences.
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