Can a politician be handed 13 years in prison and still not spend an additional day behind bars? That is the question surrounding former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu after a court imposed a fresh Sh21 million fine or alternative prison terms totalling 13 years in a money laundering case linked to a controversial Sh588.7 million county road tender.
Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa delivered the sentence , at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi.
Waititu was fined Sh10 million on the first count, with a five-year prison term in default of payment. He was further fined Sh6 million on the second count, carrying a four-year prison term, and Sh5 million on the third count, also carrying a four-year prison term.
However, the 13-year figure does not mean Waititu will serve an additional 13 years in prison. The court directed that the latest sentences run concurrently, meaning the prison terms will overlap rather than be added together. They will also run alongside his existing 12-year prison sentence arising from the same corruption scandal.
The latest penalties follow an October 14, 2026, High Court decision by Justice Rose Ougo, which overturned earlier acquittals on three money laundering charges and entered convictions against Waititu and his co-accused.
The case revolves around a Sh588.7 million road construction contract awarded to Testimony Enterprises Limited by the Kiambu County Government during the 2017/2018 financial year. The contract involved upgrading gravel roads to bitumen standards across several sub-counties.
Prosecutors presented evidence linking funds from the disputed project to businesses associated with Waititu and other accused persons, alleging that the transactions were intended to conceal the origins of the money. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission had also investigated allegations that Waititu corruptly received Sh25 million from the contractor.
Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangari Ndung’u, businessman Charles Chege Mbuthia, his wife Beth Wangechi Mburu and several companies associated with the contract were also handed penalties in the case.
The sentencing adds another chapter to one of Kenya’s closely watched county government corruption cases, raising fresh questions about accountability, public resources and the consequences of financial misconduct by public officials.
