Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has been granted a lifeline by the High Court, which has temporarily stayed his arrest and prosecution as he fights corruption allegations related to his administration.
On Thursday, Justice Chacha Mwita issued the conservatory order stating that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) should hold the arrest of the governor or any plan to charge him until a petition is heard at full length.
"A conservatory order is issued barring the respondents from arresting and charging the petitioners based on the investigations carried out in this matter pending September 18, 2025," said the judge.The ruling enables Wamatangi to stay in office without the specter of arrest hanging over his head. The case will return to court in mid-September, when judges will issue a final ruling on whether to allow prosecution of the governor to go ahead.
The ODPP, on its part, has yet to formally announce whether it will prosecute.
The Wamatangi case has drawn national attention since April, when his home and county offices were stormed by EACC detectives on suspicion of stealing public funds and conflict of interest.
Nine other top county officials were also taken in during the dawn raids, which included seizure of documents and examination of county finances. Investigators claim that millions meant for development projects may have been mismanaged.
But the accused have pushed back, painting the operation as a politically charged move to discredit the governor ahead of the next election cycle.
Wamatangi himself didn’t mince words. In an earlier public statement, he labeled the raid “political intimidation”, insisting he wouldn’t be bullied into silence.
“I will not be silenced or distracted from running county projects,” he said.For now, the court’s decision buys him time. But the weight of the corruption allegations and the political noise surrounding them continues to grow.
