How Haji ‘spoilt the party’ for EACC officers plotting Waititu’s arrest

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives are livid that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, released a statement ordering the arrest of Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu way before they [EACC officers] had arrived at the county chief’s Runda home to effect the arrest.

The EACC officers say they had gotten wind that the governor, who is facing corruption accusations, was at his Runda home on Friday evening, when Haji sent out a press release alerting the public about Waititu’s looming arrest.

Unfortunately, the governor had already learnt of his imminent seizure -- through the media --, when the EACC officers raided his Runda home.

“The DPP released his statement calling for Waititu’s arrest when we hadn’t even arrived at the suspect’s home. So, by the time we were getting there, he had already escaped,” an EACC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told K24 Digital on Saturday.

As at the time of going to press on Saturday, neither Waititu nor his wife had been arrested.

-Embezzlement of county funds-

On Friday evening (July 26), DPP Noordin Haji ordered that Waititu be arrested on suspicion of embezzling county funds.

The governor allegedly did not follow due procedure when awarding a Ksh588.2 million roads improvement tender to Testimony Enterprise Limited.

The DPP said the director of the firm, which was to upgrade roads in Thika, Limuru, Gatundu North, Juja and Ruiru sub-counties, “were close associates of Governor Waititu”.

Haji thus far, Ksh147.3 million “have been irregularly paid to Testimony Enterprises Limited in relation to the upgrading of the said-roads in Kiambu”.

The DPP further stated that the now-controversial company was awarded other contracts “to supply goods and services” to Kiambu County “by way of request for proposal”. This transaction, the DPP said, has already seen Waititu pay Testimony Enterprise Limited Ksh74.2 million.

Haji said the firm has so far, from the deals, pocketed Ksh221.5 million.

The DPP said once that money was credited to the account of Testimony Enterprise Limited, “a total of Ksh25.6 million was remitted to entities associated with Governor Waititu”.

Haji said investigations have revealed Waititu and his wife, Susan, used the monies to acquire Bienvenue Delta Hotel.

The DPP, therefore, ordered the governor’s arrest alongside his wife and eight others, including Kiambu County Chief Officer in charge of Roads, Lukas Wahinya.

On Saturday morning, three of the 10 suspects had been arrested.