Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been hospitalized at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) after suffering severe high blood pressure complications, just a day after being sentenced to 12 years in prison or a KSh53.5 million fine over a KSh588 million graft case.
His lawyer, John Sakwa, confirmed that Waititu’s health deteriorated rapidly while in custody at Industrial Area Prison, prompting an urgent transfer to KNH.
This comes after Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki denied an immediate medical order during sentencing, ruling that prison authorities would handle any health concerns.
He directed that any health issues should be addressed by the prison facility where Waititu began serving his sentence.
Waititu’s sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace, and now, as he battles both legal and health struggles, questions arise about his fate behind bars.
Waititu was charged alongside his wife Susan Ndung’u, who was also slapped with a one-year prison sentence or pay a fine of KSh500,000.
While the court convicted them on graft-related charges, Waititu was acquitted on three counts of money laundering.
Waititu’s co-accused, Testimony Enterprises Limited director Charles Chege, was sentenced to serve nine years in jail or pay a fine of KSh295 million.
Fall From Grace: Former Kiambu Governor Waititu Found Guilty in Sh588 Million Graft Case
Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu now sits behind bars after a court found him guilty of corruption, handing him a tough choice—pay a hefty Sh53.5 million fine or serve 12 years in jail.
The ruling, delivered by Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki on Thursday, also bars Waititu from holding public office for the next ten years.
The case stemmed from a fraudulent Sh588 million road construction tender awarded to Testimony Enterprises.
The court found that Waititu illegally benefited from kickbacks tied to the project, sealing his fate in one of the most high-profile corruption convictions in recent years.
