Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Thursday was allowed to substitute his Sh15 million deposited cash bail with a surety.
Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi directed that the cash bail to released to him after the surety is deposited and verified.
Waititu is facing a Sh588 million graft case. He has denied wrongdoing.
He told the court that he is financially overwhelmed and needs to use the deposited cash bail to meet his day-to-day financial obligations.
On July 30, Waitutu was granted a cash bail of Sh15 million or alternatively a bond of Sh30,000 plus surety of a similar amount.
He sought review at the High court but Justice Ngenye Macharia declined.
Waititu has proposed that John Kariuki stand surety for him.
In an affidavit, Ndirangu confirmed to the court that he has not been coerced by Waititu or any other entity to take up the responsibility.
“Waititu is well known to me. I have on a myriad of occasions visited his City Hall office and rural residence. I have extensive knowledge of his businesses and interests,” read his court documents.
“I availed my security documents to the relevant authorities for validation and the security document was accepted by the court and the same deposited in the custody of the court,” he added.
The Director of Public Prosecutions did not oppose the substitution.
Waititu was arraigned in July alongside his wife Susan Wangari Ndung’u. Also charged were Luka Mwangi, Charles Chege, BethWangechi, Zacharia Njenga, Joyce Ngina, Simon Kabocho, Anselem Gachukia, Samuel Muigai, Testimony Enterprises Limited, Saika Two Estate Developers Limited and the Delta hotel.
It is alleged that between July 2 last year and March this year in Kiambu county, Waititu knowingly acquired an indirect private interest of Sh25.6 million in respect to payments made to Testimony Enterprises Limited for contracts awarded to that company in Kiambu.
He faced another count together with his wife and a company they co-founded, the Bienvenue Delta hotel. It is alleged that between October 3, 2018, and January 2019 the two proprietors of the company jointly received Sh7.2 million from Testimony Enterprises while having reason tobelieve that the sum was acquired from Kiambu county through corrupt conduct.
(Edited by V. Graham)
