Just last week, Kiambu County Governor Ferdinand Waititu alias Baba Yao was bragging that Kenyans would “run mad or commit suicide” if they knew his massive wealth. But is this the case?
Well, on Thursday, detectives from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission were his guests, who arrived in wee hours without an appointment! The county chief, waking up into a raid had no option but to humble as he was issued with a search warrant.
This was in search of evidence linking him to graft allegations. His Runda and Garden Estate homes as well as his office in Thika were under a thorough search for five good hours.
EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak after the raid said they found evidence linking Waititu to Sh588m irregular tenders, fraudulent acquisition of public funds, conflict of interest and money laundering.
The governor’s daughter Monica Njeri, a doctor at Kenyatta National Hospital, was a person of interest amid reports that millions of shillings were wired through her bank accounts.
The EACC said that there was cogent evidence that the governor was awarded the lucrative tenders through proxy firms fronted by himself and close members of his family.
“Preliminary investigations show that contractors paid monies to senior county officials, their companies or relatives through proxies,” EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak said in a statement.
However, the EACC by last evening did not indicate whether they had arrested the governor or not only insisting that he had been asked to record a statement.
Waititu faces possible charges for fraudulent acquisition of public funds, conflict of interest and money laundering as the anti-graft agency tightens the noose on graft lords.