Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been released from prison after spending nearly six months in custody.
The High Court granted him bond of Ksh53 million as he waits for the outcome of his appeal.
This decision allows him to stay out of jail while the court examines whether his earlier conviction was fair.
Waititu had been sentenced to 12 years in jail for corruption involving Ksh588 million in irregularly awarded tenders during his time as governor in 2018.
The court had given him an option of serving five years in prison or paying a fine of Ksh2.5 million. In addition to that, he was ordered to pay a mandatory fine of Ksh51 million.
If he failed to pay the fine, he would face an extra seven years in jail. Despite having these options, he remained behind bars for several months at Industrial Area Remand Prison before being moved to another facility.
His time in jail was marked by complaints about his health, including chest pains and high blood pressure.In his appeal, Waititu argued that the trial court made serious errors when handling his case.
He said the charges against him were unfairly managed and that the judgment was rushed. He also added that his health had continued to get worse while in custody.
These issues were presented in court earlier in April, when the High Court allowed him to amend his appeal and also make a fresh request for bail.
After reviewing the new details, the High Court finally approved his release on bond.Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangare, who was also linked to the same corruption case, was sentenced to pay a fine of Ksh500,000 or serve a one-year jail term.
The court ruled that her sentence would run concurrently. The original judgment was delivered by Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki, who said Waititu’s actions showed dishonesty and abuse of office.
The magistrate added that as a public officer, Waititu had failed to protect the interests of the people of Kiambu.
Now that he is out, the High Court will look into the strength of his appeal to decide if the conviction will remain or be overturned.
This next step will determine Waititu’s future, but for now, he walks free once again.
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