NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu is once again in the legal spotlight after being charged with making remarks deemed likely to cause public unrest, even as he continues to serve a 12-year jail term for corruption-related offences.
Waititu, who is currently held at Kamiti Maximum Prison, was on Tuesday, November 11, arraigned in connection with comments he allegedly made during a public event at Ruiru Stadium in Kiambu County on September 29, 2024.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the former county boss’s speech was provocative and capable of disturbing public peace, contrary to Section 94(1) of the Penal Code, which criminalises utterances that may incite disorder or breach of peace.
Prosecutors told the court that Waititu’s remarks were targeted at specific social groups — including hustlers, market vendors, boda-boda riders, and members of the clergy — and were intended to inflame tensions in an already charged political environment.
In the alleged statement, Waititu reportedly criticised the impeachment proceedings against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, declaring that “if Gachagua goes home, President Ruto must also go.” The prosecution described the comments as “reckless and divisive,” adding that they were made in full view of a public gathering.
The ODPP confirmed it would actively pursue the case, with the hearing set for next week at the Kiambu Law Courts.
This comes as Waititu continues to serve a 12-year sentence imposed earlier this year after his conviction for conflict of interest and dealing with suspect property during his tenure as Kiambu governor. He was also banned from holding public office for 10 years.
Efforts by his legal team to secure his release have repeatedly failed. In September 2025, the High Court rejected an application to free him on bail pending appeal after he failed to raise the required Sh53 million bank guarantee.
Justice Lucy Njuguna dismissed the plea, saying repeated applications were a tactic to delay justice.
Waititu’s conviction earlier in February had briefly earned him temporary reprieve when he was released on bond pending appeal — a reprieve that was later revoked when he defaulted on the court’s conditions.
The former governor’s legal troubles add to a long list of high-profile graft and conduct cases involving senior political figures, as the judiciary continues to tighten its stance on accountability and public order offences.
