Former governor sentenced to 12 years in prison in Kenya

A Kenyan court on Thursday  sentenced  a former governor to 12 years in prison for corruption, alongside his wife and three others.

Ferdinand Waititu, former governor of the major county of Kiambu, is one of the most high-profile officials to be convicted under the government’s anti-corruption drive.

The Nairobi court found him guilty of fraud and conflict of interest, according to a statement from the state prosecution service.

Prosecutors accused him of irregularly awarding road construction contracts valued at 588 million Kenyan shillings ($4.5 million), local media reported.

READ ALSO:It’s disgraceful Nigeria struggles to feed own people – Bauchi governor

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki imposed a fine of 53 million Kenyan shillings ($400,000) on Waititu, with the alternative of serving a 12-year jail term. Additionally, the convicted individuals were barred from holding public office for a decade.

The road project in question was meant to improve gravel roads in Kiambu, where Waititu was impeached and removed from office in 2020.

His wife was also sentenced to one year in prison or a fine of 500,000 Kenyan shillings ($3,869).

Waititu is now the second former governor in Kenya to receive a jail term for corruption, in a country where such cases often face prolonged delays, with some never resulting in imprisonment.