Ex-Governor Convicted in Multi-Million Procurement Scandal
Former Nyandarua County Governor Daniel Waithaka Mwangi has been found guilty of procurement irregularities, marking a significant corruption case in Kenya.
The Nyahururu Anti-Corruption Court convicted Waithaka on Thursday for deliberately failing to adhere to procurement laws.
He was sentenced alongside Grace Wanjiru Gitonga, a former County Executive Committee (CEC) Member in charge of Water, Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources.
The court ruled that both officials were guilty of multiple offenses, including engaging in a project without prior planning and failing to comply with procurement regulations.
According to court documents, the two unlawfully contracted a consulting engineering company without an approved procurement plan for the 2013/2014 financial year.
“The court heard that on April 30, 2014, at the Nyandarua County Government offices, the two public officers, who were responsible for managing public resources, violated the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2006,” stated part of the court records.
They were found guilty of awarding a contract to a consulting firm without following the required procurement process, in violation of Section 26(3)(a) of the Act.
Additionally, the former governor was convicted of abusing his office. The court determined that in April 2014, Waithaka used his position to improperly grant benefits to the consulting firm.
He did so by awarding them a contract for the development of the County Water Master Plan and the review of the Ol Kalou Town Sewerage System’s design without following the legal procurement procedures.
The former county chief is set to learn his punishment on Monday, March 20, when the court will reconvene for mitigation and sentencing.
This conviction comes just weeks after another high-profile ruling against a former governor. In February, former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu was sentenced to 12 years in prison or a fine of Ksh53.5 million after being found guilty of irregularly awarding tenders.
Waititu was also handed an additional five-year jail term or an alternative fine of Ksh2.5 million, along with a mandatory fine of Ksh51 million.
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