NO BREATHER: Wamatangi’s Woes Deepen As Court Freezes Family Accounts barely a Day After Nyayo Business Demolition

The High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division in Nairobi has issued orders freezing several bank accounts linked to Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi, his wife, his children, and 10 other associates, in connection with a Sh813 million corruption recovery suit filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The preservation orders were issued on Thursday by Justice Benjamin Mwikya, who said the court was granting the temporary freeze to prevent any suspected illicit funds from being withdrawn, transferred or spent before the case is heard and determined.

The accounts will remain frozen until February 4, 2026, when the matter will be mentioned in court.

In his ruling, Justice Mwikya noted that when the matter first appeared before the trial court, there were no valid preservation orders in place.

“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 in the application dated November 4, 2025,” Justice Mwikya said.

The judge agreed with the EACC that the situation had since changed and required urgent intervention to safeguard the disputed funds.

“I therefore agree with the plaintiff’s counsel that the circumstances have changed, and in the interest of justice, I grant prayer to the plaintiff’s application until February 4, 2026, when this matter will be placed before the court,” he ruled.

The EACC argues that the frozen funds are proceeds of corruption and unjust enrichment linked to irregular road construction tenders in Kiambu County.

According to the commission, the tenders were allegedly awarded to companies linked to Governor Wamatangi and members of his family during the 2018/2019 and 2021/2022 financial years, a period when Wamatangi served as the Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation.

In its civil recovery suit filed on October 31, 2025, the commission is seeking to recover KES. 813.1 million, saying the money is suspected to have been acquired unlawfully.

Apart from the recovery of the funds, the EACC is also seeking permanent court orders to secure the disputed assets, including injunctions and preservation measures targeting multiple bank accounts held by individuals and entities named in the suit.

The commission told the court that without interim freezing orders, there was a real risk the funds could be moved, withdrawn or spent, undermining the purpose of the recovery case.

The freezing orders come against the backdrop of an ongoing procedural dispute, after Governor Wamatangi applied for the recusal of the judge who was initially handling the matter.

The recusal application, filed late last year, has slowed down substantive proceedings in the case, with the defence insisting that no other applications should proceed until the recusal issue is resolved.

However, the EACC maintained that temporary preservation orders were still necessary as the court deals with the recusal application and prepares to hear the main recovery suit.

The High Court orders add to Governor Wamatangi’s growing legal and political troubles, coming barely a day after the overnight demolition of businesses linked to him near Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, including a car wash and car bazaar, on January 14, 2026.

The governor has previously dismissed the allegations and described the actions against him as politically driven, insisting he is being targeted to derail his political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.