EACC welcomes Waititu’s sentencing over Sh588m graft case

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has welcomed the sentencing of former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, his wife and two other individuals over money laundering linked to a Sh588 million county government road construction tender.

The Milimani Anti-Corruption Court imposed fines of up to Sh36 million on the accused individuals and corporate entities, with default prison terms ranging from two to 13 years.

In a statement, the Commission said the sentences followed a High Court decision delivered on October 14, 2026, which reinstated money laundering charges against Waititu, his wife Susan Wangari Ndung’u, and Charles Chege Mbuthia and his wife Beth Wangechi Mburu, who are directors of Testimony Enterprises Limited.

The court imposed the following penalties:

1. Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu Babayao: Sh21 million fine or 13 years’ imprisonment in default.
2. Charles Chege Mbuthia: Sh28 million fine or 13 years’ imprisonment in default.
3. Beth Wangechi Mburu: Sh6 million fine or six years’ imprisonment in default.
4. Susan Wangari Ndung’u: Sh2 million fine or two years’ imprisonment in default.
5. Testimony Enterprises Limited: Sh36 million fine.
6. Saika Two Estate: Sh24 million fine.

The case originated from investigations launched by the EACC in 2019 following allegations that the Kiambu County Government had irregularly awarded Testimony Enterprises Limited a KSh588 million contract to upgrade gravel roads to bitumen standards in 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 various offences, including conflict of interest, dealing with suspected property, abuse of office, fraudulent procurement practices and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws and regulations.

For those offences, Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or fined Sh52,749,000, while his wife Susan received a one-year jail term or a Sh500,000 fine.

Charles Chege Mbuthia was sentenced to 11 years in prison or fined Sh297,048,110, while Beth Wangechi Mburu received a three-year jail term or a Sh1.4 million fine. Another accused person, Luka Mwangi Wahinya, was sentenced to seven years in prison or fined KSh1 million.

Following the additional money laundering penalties, the cumulative fines and default prison terms for the four individuals stand as follows:

1. Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu: Sh73,749,000 or 13 years’ imprisonment in default.
2. Susan Wangari Ndung’u: Sh2.5 million or two years’ imprisonment in default.
3. Charles Chege Mbuthia: Sh325,048,110 or 13 years’ imprisonment in default.
4. Beth Wangechi Mburu: Sh7.4 million or six years’ imprisonment in default.

The Commission further stated that the court had directed Testimony Enterprises Limited and Saika Two Estate to settle their respective fines within 14 days, failure to do so, the amounts would be recovered in accordance with Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The EACC described the outcome as an important step in strengthening accountability for proceeds of corruption and combating money laundering.

The Commission also linked the case to Kenya's efforts to address deficiencies identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as the country works towards exiting the international anti-money laundering grey list.