Mixed reactions greet Waititu’s lamentations about life in prison

Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu’s lamentations about the harsh life in prison has attracted mixed reactions on social media with former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of persecuting him.

In a post on his X account, Nyakera, who is the chairman of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), claimed Waititu was picked by over six land cruisers from Industrial Area prisons yesterday and transferred to Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.

“What Waititu is going through is not justice, it’s political warfare disguised as law. Its panic. It’s fear. Fear of his return. Jomo Kenyatta. Raila Odinga. Koigi wa Wamwere. Kenneth Matiba. They were jailed, mocked, written off — but history had other plans. This is not Waititu’s end. It’s his awakening,” he wrote.

Nyakera was reacting to media reports quoting Waititu lamenting about his stay in prison where he said criminals, who are better dressed than him have been approaching him with offers to secure his freedom in return for millions of shillings.

“Prison is not a good place. There is no freedom at all, there are no facilities and now I know my true friends very well. When you have wealth, everybody looks for you until you start thinking you can manage everything. But it is lying to yourself since I have found out that people come to you because they know you will sort out their problems,” Waititu was quoted in a section of the press as saying.

However, Nyakera’s post attracted criticism from Kenyans who were of the view that corruption individuals should not attract any mercy.

“Corruption is a vice that sucks the life out of nationhood. We should champion for more political cabals to get even hasher punishment within the confines of law,” @plmagunga responded.

@CharlesDienya also replied: How’s Jailing Waititu for Stealing Taxpayers Money of his own Kiambu People , confirmed before a Court of Law , Political Warfare @wnyakera? The Leaders you’ve mentioned were fighting for Kenya that’s why they were Jailed.”

@vinlabbat, who said he is a probation officer, wrote: “Hon. Waititu’s transfer to Kamiti highlights the complexities of Kenya’s prison system, where security concerns often dictate decisions. While political narratives may shape public perception, the justice system must uphold due process and fairness. Every individual, regardless of status, should be treated according to the law, with equal access to justice and rehabilitation.”

On his part, @JosephMasta wrote: “Thieves of Public resources should be treated in the most cruel way, in fact angewekwa juu ya lorry not landcruisers. For us to end corruption, we must first decolonise our minds from seeing a fellow tribesmate (sic) in a criminal.”

Waititu was jailed for 12 years or in the alternative, pay a fine of Ksh 53.5 million on February 13 for engaging in corruption deals that led the county to lose Ksh 588 million in road construction projects.

His wife Susan Wangari was fined Ksh 500,000 or one-year imprisonment.

Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki further slapped a contractor Charles Chege with a fine of Ksh 294,500,000 or nine years in prison.

Waititu has since appealed his sentence but a bid to be released pending bail was turned down by Lady Justice Lucy Njuguna who stated that he had not met the conditions to be granted bail.