High Court has ruled to freeze several bank accounts of companies linked to Kiambu Governor Wamatangi and his close associates during the time of an extensive anti-corruption investigation.
The dramatic rise of legal pressure on Governor Wamatangi has come from the court, which has given the urgent ruling that means huge losses in the landmark graft case, the whole of Kenya’s political and economic interests associated with one of the country’s most powerful county governors being the prize.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division of the High Court authorized the freezing of the funds in the banks of five corporate entities allegedly connected to Wamatangi on the application of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) earlier this week.
Court papers show that the accounts — Family Bank accounts in the names of King Group Company Limited, King Realtors Limited, King Construction Company Limited, Quick Fix Auto Garage Limited, and Lub Plus Oil and Energy Limited — will be frozen for 6 months to allow investigators to carry out forensic analysis and prepare for possible recovery actions.
The EACC based its application on Section 56 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, pleading that the money could be spent or hidden before the investigation is over unless the banks have it in secure custody.
The findings of the investigators connect these companies with the illegal procurement contracts worth over Sh700 million, which are thought to have been awarded unlawfully by various state agencies, including the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) during the time when Wamatangi was the chairman of the Senate Roads Committee.
The freezing orders were issued immediately after EACC’s High Court lawsuit that claimed more than Sh813 million were lost through corrupt tenders and conflicts of interest involving Wamatangi and 13 others, which was filed in late 2025.
Wamatangi has always denied that he did anything wrong and has put accusations against him down as politically motivated, even though properties associated with him in Nairobi are getting demolished.
According to legal professionals, the freezing order can be a game changer in securing the suspected corrupt profits and also in strengthening the EACC’s recovery claim. They also mention that the orders for preservation will ensure that no transactions, withdrawals or transfers take place from the accounts during the process of hearing and possible forfeiture.
The governor’s defense counsel has expressed its intention to challenge parts of the investigation in court, consequently, providing the arena for a costly and high-profile legal battle which could affect governance, rule of law and public trust all the way to Kenya’s 2027 elections.
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