Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, his wife Susan Wangari and two co-accused will be back in court on Wednesday for mitigation and sentencing proceedings at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in the money laundering case facing them.
The High Court on October 14 overturned the aquittals of the four on money laundering charges linked to a Sh588 million county road tender for which Waititu is serving a 12-year jail term for receiving Sh25 million kickback.
In a judgment delivered by Lady Justice Rose Ougo, the court accepted the state's appeal, setting aside the acquittals and upholding the 12-year sentence imposed in February 2025 over the irregular procurement of road works in Kiambu county.
"Accordingly, the court sets aside the aquittals on counts 10, 11 and 12 and convicts the appellants and the second respondent on all money laundering counts as charged," Justice Ougo ruled.
The court also revoked the bail terms granted to the accused, ordering that Susan be detained at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, while Waititu and the male co-accused be detained at Nairobi Remand Prison pending mitigation and sentencing.
Waititu and his wife are accused alongside former Kiambu County Chief Officer for Roads, Transport, Public Works and Utilities Luka Mwangi Wahinya and Charles Chege Mbuthia, a director of Testimony Enterprises Limited.
They had all challenged their convictions on charges of conflict of interest, dealing with suspect property, abuse of office, engaging in fraudulent practices in procurement and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
The court, however, dismissed their appeals finding that the prosecution had proved its case against the convicts in the irregular award of the multi-million road contract.
Their mitigation and sentencing had initially been scheduled for Monday, October 19 but the court postponed proceedings after one of the convicts failed to be produced in court.
"Your honour, one of the serving prisoners, Charles Chege Mbuthia, has not been produced from Kamiti Maximum Prison and therefore, it's not possible for today's proceedings to continue," the prosecution told the court.
Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa directed that Waititu and his co-accused be produced in court on October 21 for mitigation and direction on sentencing.
The court set the sentencing for Thursday, October 22, 2026.
During Monday's proceedings, Wangari had applied to be released on bail pending the mitigation and sentencing but the court declined the request.
