Blow to Waititu and his wife as High Court forfeits Sh131.2m assets to State

Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife Susan Wangari at the Milimani court on Thursday,February 13,2025 when the court delivered sentence on the corruption case that was facing them.[Collins Kweyu,Standard]

Jailed former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his wife, Susan Wangari, have suffered a major blow after the High Court ordered the forfeiture of properties valued at Sh131.2 million to the government after finding them to be unexplained wealth.

In a judgment delivered by High Court Judge Nixon Sifuna, the court ruled that several assets linked to Waititu, his wife, and a third defendant had not been satisfactorily explained and therefore fell within the meaning of unexplained assets under the law.

“This court is satisfied with the explanations given in regard to all the landed and movable properties of these two defendants (Waititu and his wife Wangari) except the following,” Justice Sifuna ruled.

The judge ordered Waititu alone to surrender to the government five unexplained assets worth a total of Sh76,260,000, including motor vehicle registration number KCJ 549X Toyota ProBox valued at Sh600,000, motor vehicle registration number KCJ 548X Toyota Vitz valued at Sh600,000, and a Caterpillar machine (tractor) valued at Sh11 million.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of two parcels of land in Thindigua, each valued at Sh32 million, after he failed to offer an explanation on how he acquired them.

“These are five assets belonging to the first defendant, Waititu. I found the explanation that was given on these ones not to have been satisfactory,” the judge ruled.

In respect of Waititu’s wife, Susan Wangari, the court found that she had failed to satisfactorily explain the acquisition of one parcel of land in Kitengela, Kajiado County, valued at Sh3 million.

“The property in respect of which I have not found the explanation to be satisfactory and therefore regard as unexplained wealth is one property which the commission valued at Sh3 million, belonging to Wangari, and is ordered to be forfeited to the government,” Justice Sifuna ruled.

The court further ordered the forfeiture of a property linked to a company belonging to Waititu and his wife, Saika Two Estate, identified as LR 209/4292, Solar House, valued at Sh52 million. The property is located along Aga Khan Walk, off Harambee Avenue, next to Jeevan Bharati Building, in the Nairobi Central Business District.

“The property in respect of which I didn’t find sufficient explanation is LR 209/4292, Solar House, valued at Sh52 million. The same is also ordered to be forfeited to the State,” the judge ruled.

However, Justice Sifuna said the court was satisfied with the explanations given for the acquisition of the remaining assets and funds worth over Sh1 billion.

“As for the funds and the rest of the properties, this court finds the explanation and proof of their manner of acquisition and status satisfactory,” he said.

The finding resulted in a partial forfeiture, with the court declining to surrender several properties to the State despite Waititu’s conviction.

The judgment capped a long-running case in which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had sought to recover assets worth over Sh1.9 billion, alleging they were corruptly acquired during Waititu’s tenure as Kabete MP and later as Kiambu Governor.

Waititu is currently serving a 12-year jail term after being convicted earlier this year in a separate graft case involving road tenders worth Sh588 million.