A Nairobi court has ordered former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu to surrender assets worth Ksh131 million, offering him partial relief in a long-running corruption case.

The ruling, delivered on Friday, December 19, means Waititu and his wife, Susan Ndung’u, will no longer be required to forfeit properties initially valued at more than Ksh1.9 billion.

What the court decided

Justice Nixon Sifuna partly allowed a civil suit filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which sought the recovery of assets alleged to have been acquired illegally during Waititu’s time in public office.

Among the properties ordered to be forfeited are two plots of land estimated at Ksh32 million, a Caterpillar construction tractor valued at Ksh11 million, and two vehicles worth about Ksh600,000 each.

The court said the assets would be surrendered because the couple failed to provide enough proof that they were acquired through legitimate means.

Why the full claim failed

However, the judge declined to approve the full seizure sought by the EACC.

In his ruling, Justice Sifuna said the commission had not presented its case with enough clarity to justify forfeiture of all the assets listed. He added that some claims were not supported by sufficient evidence.

As a result, only a fraction of the disputed property was ordered to be handed over to the State.

Background to the case

The asset recovery case dates back to 2022, when the EACC accused Waititu of holding over Ksh1 billion in unexplained wealth.

According to the commission, the assets were allegedly acquired while he served as Kabete MP between 2015 and 2017, and later as Kiambu governor from 2017 to 2020.

The EACC argued that part of the wealth was linked to questionable procurement deals involving companies associated with Waititu and his wife.

Other legal troubles

Waititu’s legal battles are far from over. In February, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, or fined Ksh52.5 million, after being found guilty of conflict of interest in a Ksh588 million graft case.

Friday’s ruling narrows the scope of asset recovery, but it does not clear him of wrongdoing.

For now, the decision marks a significant shift in a case that once threatened to strip the former governor of nearly everything he owned.