Former governor Ferdinand Waititu fell from grace after he was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. Ferdinand Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Photo: Peter Maruti, Suan Kihara Muratha. Source: UGC Waititu is incarcerated at Nairobi’s Industrial Area Prison after being found guilty of conflict of interest in a case worth KSh 588 million. A photo of Waititu in prison leaked. He was wearing a black-and-white striped prison uniform, and sitting on a chair. A wooden table with books on it, some with titles visible, stood in front of him. Standing in front of the table and somewhat blocking the view is another prisoner wearing a similar striped uniform.
In the backdrop, there was a shelf with books and bags, and a green sack leaning against the wall and the floor also looked bare. He seemed deep in thought and Kenyans wondered what was running through his mind. Ferdinand Waititu in prison uniform. Photo: Susan Kihara Muratha. Source: Facebook Why is Waititu in prison? The former governor was convicted of unlawfully obtaining county contracts while in office by utilising a family-owned business. He was thus handed a 12-year prison sentence or the choice to pay a KSh 52.5 million fine. Kenyans sympathise with Waititu Here is what they had to say: Amoh Jeruiyot: “I don’t support corruption but why is the law only applicable to those criticizing the government.” Bravo Kilo Kilo: “Kenya must be a country with the most unfairest justice system in the whole world.” Dan Ben Genga: “I don’t support corruption and shun it at all cost but I will never be happy because someone is in jail. Whoever has been there or has had a close relative jailed understand the feeling; the psychological torture,the stagnance of everything in the family. My prayers are with baba Yao. It ain’t easy especially at his age.”
ipkorir Masit Snr: “This is where corrupt people belong, the early he normalize with his new home the better and we still have many corrupt leaders in government who should join him if we want to make kenya a well economic county then we should send all corrupt leaders to jail regardless of their political allegiance and our courts should also stand firm in fighting corruption.” Richard Muteti: “I think the penal code needs to be revised, after attaining a certain age you are not send to jail but upewe kifungo ya nyumbani….. Even the judge who sentenced Waititu He/She is also corrupt and has benefitted out of corrupt deals several times.”
by Patricia Tonui
