In a significant legal blow, the High Court has frozen bank accounts belonging to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, his immediate family, and ten other individuals over allegations of corruption and illicit enrichment.
Justice Benjamin Mwikya issued the preservation orders on Thursday, January 15, effectively barring all named parties from accessing the funds linked to an Ksh813 million civil recovery suit filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The court's decision came after the EACC argued that without immediate intervention, there was a high risk the funds—alleged to be proceeds of graft—could disappear. Justice Mwikya concurred, noting that previous preservation orders were not in force when the matter first came before the trial court.
“In my mind, the preservation orders were not in force when this matter appeared before the trial judge. Had they been in place, the court would have addressed the merits of the prayers,” Justice Mwikya stated in his ruling.
He granted the EACC’s application to freeze the assets until February 4, 2026, when the case will be mentioned for further directions.
The Allegations
According to court documents, the EACC alleges that Governor Wamatangi, during his tenure as the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation, unlawfully awarded lucrative public tenders to companies associated with him and his family.
The alleged misconduct spans the financial years 2018/2019 and 2021/2022. The anti-graft body has recommended that Wamatangi, alongside his wife, sister, and other associates, be charged with conflict of interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
A Week of Setbacks
The frozen accounts mark the second major setback for the governor in a single week. Just a day before the court order, bulldozers rolled into the Nyayo Stadium area and demolished several businesses reportedly linked to Wamatangi to make way for an upcoming infrastructural project.
A visibly emotional Wamatangi visited the rubble hours after the demolitions on Wednesday, January 15, framing the twin actions as a coordinated “political witch hunt.”
“I began here as a small boy selling tea and mandazis and rose to establish the business that was here,” the governor told onlookers. “What has happened is purely political and intended to silence me and intimidate me.”
He further alleged that the moves are designed to force him out of the upcoming 2027 Kiambu gubernatorial race.
The Road Ahead
With his accounts frozen and properties demolished, Governor Wamatangi finds himself in a precarious political and legal battle. The EACC’s civil suit seeks to recover the millions of shillings it believes were acquired illegally from public coffers.
All eyes will now be on the High Court come February 4, 2026, for the next phase of this high-stakes case, which continues to underscore Kenya’s ongoing struggle against corruption within its political ranks.
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Politics