The High Court has upheld the conviction and sentencing of former Kiambu County Governor Ferdinand Waititu Babayao, his wife and their associates in a corruption-related case.
In an appeal against their previous conviction, the court delivered its judgment on October 14, 2026, affirming the decisions made by the lower court.
Lady Justice Rose Ougo of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court presided over the case, confirming the convictions of Waititu, his wife Susan Wangari Ndungu, former Kiambu County Chief Officer for Roads, Transport, Public Works and Utilities Luka Mwangi Wahinya, and Charles Chege Mbuthia, director of Testimony Enterprises Limited.
Notably, the High Court overturned the lower court’s earlier acquittal on money laundering charges, an essential element of the investigation aimed at tracing the flow of illicit funds.
The case stemmed from investigations initiated in 2019, which allege that the Kiambu County Government irregularly awarded Testimony Enterprises Limited a contract worth KES 588 million.
The project involved upgrading gravel roads to bitumen standards across Thika, Limuru, Gatundu North, Juja, and Ruiru during the 2017/2018 financial year.
On February 12, 2025, Waititu and his co-accused were convicted of multiple offenses, including conflict of interest, dealing with suspicious property, abuse of office, fraudulent procurement practices and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws and regulations.
In a related case concerning unexplained wealth filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Anti-Corruption Court in December 2025 ordered the forfeiture of assets valued at roughly KES 131.2 million linked to Waititu and associated parties.
These included properties in Thindigua valued at about KES 64 million, a Caterpillar machine worth approximately KES 11 million, two motor vehicles, properties linked to Ndungu valued at around KES 3 million and assets linked to Saika Two Estate Developers Limited valued at approximately KES 52 million.
The EACC is also pursuing a separate civil case to recover KES 170 million from Waititu and Testimony Enterprises Limited as alleged proceeds of corruption, with the outcome still pending.
The case will proceed for mitigation and sentencing on the money laundering charges on October 19, 2026, at the Anti-Corruption Magistrate’s Court.
