Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has received a significant reprieve after a court ordered him to forfeit sh131 million of his assets to the state.
The ruling, announced on Friday, December 19, provides relief for Waititu and his wife, Susan Ndung’u, who were initially facing the potential surrender of properties valued at over sh1.9 billion, allegedly acquired through fraudulent means.
Among the assets ordered for forfeiture are two plots of land estimated at sh32 million and a Caterpillar tractor used for construction, valued at sh11 million.
Additionally, the court has seized two vehicles worth sh600,000 each. The court determined that Waititu and his wife failed to provide adequate evidence to demonstrate that these assets were acquired through legitimate channels.
Justice Nixon Sifuna partially granted a civil case filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which sought to recover assets allegedly obtained illegally during Waititu’s time as governor.
The case traces back to 2022 when the EACC filed a lawsuit in the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division, claiming that the former governor possessed more than Ksh1 billion in unexplained assets.
The EACC argued that Waititu corruptly acquired these assets while serving as a Member of Parliament for Kabete Constituency from 2015 to 2017, and subsequently as Kiambu Governor from 2017 to 2020.
They alleged that some properties were purchased using proceeds from dubious procurement contracts awarded to firms linked to Waititu and his wife.
However, in the recent ruling, Justice Sifuna determined that Waititu would only need to surrender a fraction of the assets due to insufficient clarity in the EACC’s allegations.
The court also noted that the commission failed to provide solid evidence to justify the full seizure of all assets.
In February, Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or required to pay a fine of sh52.5 million after being found guilty of conflict of interest in a sh588 million corruption case.
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