“Former Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka and His Minister Sentenced to Prison”

“The Nyahururu Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced former Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka Mwangi to two years in prison after finding him guilty of procurement irregularities and abuse of office. Alternatively, he was offered the option to pay a fine of Ksh1 million.

Chief Magistrate Hezekiah Keago ruled on Thursday that Waithaka would either serve two years in prison or pay a Ksh500,000 fine for failing to comply with procurement laws. He was also given another two-year sentence or Ksh500,000 fine for abuse of office.

In a statement issued on Thursday, March 20, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) confirmed that Waithaka was sentenced alongside Grace Wanjiru Gitonga, the former County Executive Committee Member for Water, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources.

“Chief Magistrate Hezekiah Keago ruled that the sentences would run concurrently if Waithaka fails to pay the imposed fine,” the ODPP stated.

Gitonga was sentenced to two years or a Ksh500,000 fine for engaging in a project without prior planning. She also received another two-year sentence or Ksh500,000 fine for failing to comply with procurement laws.

Both Waithaka and Gitonga were convicted for an offense committed on April 30, 2014, when they were public officers in charge of managing public property.

They unlawfully procured services from an engineering consulting firm without a procurement plan for the 2013/2014 financial year.

“He awarded the company a contract for the development of the County Water Master Plan and the design review of the Ol Kalou Town Sewerage System without following the required procurement procedures,” the ODPP stated.

Moreover, the court on March 13, 2025, found Waithaka guilty of office misuse for improperly granting benefits to the consulting company using his office in April 2014.

“The court heard that on April 30, 2014, at the Nyandarua County Government offices, the two failed to comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2006,” court documents stated.

Waithaka is the third governor to be convicted on graft charges in the past two years, following former Samburu County Governor Moses Lenolkulaal and former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu.

Last month, Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or a fine of Ksh53.5 million after being found guilty of irregularly awarding tenders. He was also sentenced to five years in jail or a fine of Ksh2.5 million, plus a mandatory fine of Ksh51 million.