Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu to face charges in graft claim

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is expected to be charged in court today as pressure mounts on him to resign over suspected involvement in irregular tendering of projects amounting to Sh588 million.

Mr Waititu and his wife Susan Ndung’u surrendered at Integrity Centre after dodging detectives for two days. The governor turned himself in at 9:30am while the wife sneaked in at 2pm. They spent the night at the EACC detention.

On Friday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji ordered the governor’s arrest as well as nine others expected to face charges over allegations of irregular procurement of a tender for the upgrading of various gravel roads in the county, awarded to M/s Testimony Enterprises Ltd worth Sh588 million during the financial year 2017/2018.

On Sunday, Mr Waititu’s lawyer Oliver Kipchumba rubbished claims that his client had been on the run.

"The governor was out of town. He returned last night and we thought it well to report to EACC this morning," Mr Kipchumba said at EACC offices.

RESIGNATION TALK

The lawyer spoke as Kieleweke political grouping that is opposed to Deputy President William Ruto presidential bid put pressure on the governor to quit office over graft claims facing him.

Led by nominated MP Maina Kamanda, the group said the accusations facing Mr Waititu are serious and that he should follow the court ruling that State officials charged in court should step aside.

Speaking in Olkalau, Nyandarua County, he hit out at Senator Kipchumba Murkomen for saying a “certain community or DP Ruto allies” were targeted in the war on corruption.

"No community should carry the burden of one individual. People should carry their own crosses," Mr Kamanda said.

The EACC has established that M/S Testimony Enterprise owned by a Mr Charles Chege and Ms Beth Wangeci Mburu, who were close associates of the governor, had earlier been paid Sh147.3 million.

They were then paid the Sh588 million for a tender to upgrade various roads as had been advertised by the county on February 12 on Business Daily newspaper under the tender title “Proposed improvement of various gravel roads to bituminous standards in Kiambu”.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The projects, according to the county’s estimates, were to cost Sh610 million with each kilometre gobbling up Sh29 million.

Anti-graft detectives established that Testimony opened an account with Equity Bank on March 27, 18 days after it signed for the tender.

Further, after scrutinising the statements, they established that on various dates, the firm paid a cumulative amount of Sh25.4 million to Saika Two Estate Developers Ltd where Mr Waititu and his daughter are directors.

The firm was also awarded several other contracts amounting to over Sh74 million.

Once the monies were paid by the county government, Sh25.6 million was remitted to entities associated with the governor. However, Mr Waititu’s daughter Monica Njeri has been spared.

Additional reporting by Lucas Barasa