Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has met a key condition for his release from Kamiti Maximum Prison by securing a KSh.53 million bank guarantee, his legal team informed a Nairobi court on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Waititu has been incarcerated since February 2025 following his conviction in a high-profile corruption case.

The development occurred during a mention of a separate hate-speech case against the former governor before Trial Magistrate Rose Ndobi. The court acknowledged that upon the formal processing of the guarantee, Waititu could be freed pending the outcome of his appeal against the corruption conviction. His bond terms in the hate-speech matter remain valid.

The Corruption Conviction

On February 12, 2025, the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court found Waititu and several co-accused guilty in a case involving the irregular award of a KSh.588 million road tender during his tenure as governor. The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki, established that Waititu had an illegal personal interest in the contract, receiving kickbacks amounting to KSh.25.6 million through companies linked to him and his wife, Susan Wangari Ndung''u.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) initiated investigations in March 2017, leading to charges of fraud, conflict of interest, dealing in suspicious property, money laundering, and abuse of office. On February 13, 2025, Magistrate Nzioki sentenced Waititu to 12 years in prison or the alternative of a KSh.53.5 million fine. The sentence also included a ten-year ban from holding public office. His wife, Susan Wangari, was fined KSh.500,000 or a one-year prison term.

Path to Temporary Freedom

Waititu''s journey to securing his release has been arduous. After his conviction, he appealed the sentence at the High Court. His initial applications for bail pending the appeal were dismissed. However, on July 31, 2025, High Court Judge Lucy Njuguna granted him release on a KSh.53 million bond secured by a bank guarantee. Subsequently, Waititu''s legal team informed the court in October 2025 that they were unable to secure the bank guarantee, requesting to substitute it with a cash deposit, a plea that Justice Njuguna rejected.

The successful acquisition of the guarantee, announced on Tuesday, now paves the way for his release while his appeal is being heard. This case is a significant marker in Kenya''s fight against corruption, representing one of the few instances a high-profile political figure has been convicted and jailed for graft. Waititu''s potential release on bond pending appeal will be closely watched by the Kenyan public and anti-corruption watchdogs, as it tests the resolve of the judicial system to hold powerful individuals accountable.

Separate Hate Speech Case

In addition to the corruption conviction, Waititu faces separate charges of hate speech. He is accused of making inflammatory remarks on September 29, 2024, at Ruiru Stadium in Kiambu County. The prosecution alleges that his statements were intended to incite public disorder, a charge he denies. The hearing for this case has been scheduled for January 15, 2026.

Waititu''s political career has been tumultuous. He was impeached as Kiambu Governor in January 2020 over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office, separate from the criminal conviction that followed. The outcome of his appeal and the ongoing hate speech trial will determine the final chapter of his public life and have broader implications for governance and the rule of law in Kenya.