Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu alias Baba Yao can’t seem to catch a break in his fight for freedom after the High Court declined to alter his bond terms, insisting that he must provide a Ksh.53 million bank guarantee.
Waititu, unable to raise the guarantee, had asked the court to allow him to substitute it with a cash deposit. Justice Lucy Njuguna dismissed the request, noting that she had already exercised discretion in his favor.
“I will not vary those orders. Honestly, I did the best I could based on the material placed before me. You placed material that persuaded me and I was gracious enough to grant those orders,” she ruled.
The judge also reminded Waititu’s lawyer that other accused persons in the same case remain in custody and had previously complained about delays.
“That’s why I gave 120 days, and for the record, the 120 days start from today. It’s on that basis that I said no more fresh applications should be made so that we concentrate on the appeal and get it out of the way,” she added.
Waititu’s legal woes stem from his February 2025 conviction, when the court found him guilty of failing to safeguard public funds after he irregularly received Ksh.25 million from Testimony Enterprises following an unlawful tender award.
He was ordered to either pay a fine of Ksh.53.5 million or serve 12 years in prison. Justice Njuguna affirmed that the conviction will stand while his appeal is heard, stressing that the case must be concluded within 120 days. She warned that unnecessary delays could result in the appeal being dismissed altogether.
This latest ruling comes less than two weeks after the High Court rejected Waititu’s bid to overturn his 12-year prison sentence, tightening the noose on the former governor as he fights to avoid jail time.
