Author: Kenya Insights Team

Actor and comedian Kevin Hart and two others were involved in a grizzly car crash in Calabasas, California just around his house early Sunday, according to a California Highway Patrol incident report.

The report states Jared Black was driving Hart’s 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, when he lost control of the vehicle. went off the road and rolled down an embankment

Hart and the driver, Jared Black, sustained “major back injuries” and were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, the report states.

After the crash Hart who was able to get out of the car rushed home to get help.

Patrol officers determined that Black was not driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. The third occupant did not suffer any major injuries.

Hart bought himself the classic Barracuda back in July as a present to himself for his 40th birthday. “I added some more muscle to the family for my 40th….welcome home ‘Menace,’” he wrote

In a new twist of events. Sarah Cohen the wife of the missing dutch billionaire Tob Cohen on July 20th, 2019 has finally broken the silence surrounding the businessman’s disappearance  in an apparent bid to set the record straight, clear her name and present the facts as they are. She adds that she thinks the husband is behind the narrative to taint her as a villain.

Tob Cohen, was in an unstable state of the mind before his disappearance, Sarah states in an article published on her website, Sarah says that She has been worried for his mental health for a while now.

“Tob Cohen is known around club circles across the country as a rowdy and controversial individual. Our friends and acquaintances have, over the years, witnessed dozens of incidents where Tob gets intoxicated, and thereafter becomes violent.” The blog reads. Sarah says this behaviour saw him end up in disciplinary panels in many of the clubs he was part of.

In one incident in 2006 following violent conduct at Windsor Golf & Country Club, the disciplinary panel opted to expel him from the club.

In 2013, in a similar play of events, this time at Muthaiga Golf Club. Tob was accused of violence, disrespectful and threatening behaviour. This incident led to his suspension from the club for 6 months

Tob’s sister Gabrie  has said there was nothing wrong with her brother and that she suspects Sarah to be complicit in the death of her brother (seen in this video). Released screenshots of conversations between Sarah, Gabrie and Bernard Cohen show otherwise. The screenshots show that Sarah has been talking about Tob’s mental health issues with them for a while.

In the well documented blog, Sarah adds that her husband started to show his erratic behaviour towards close family members in December 2018, at her daughter’s traditional wedding, held at their house in Nairobi. Tob would drink himself to stupor before going rowdy on anybody who was around him. “Tob had been drinking heavily that day, and by around 4 pm was quite intoxicated. It’s important for me to state that Tob is a frequent and heavy drinker and smoker (cigarettes, cigars and reportedly, weed). As the evening progressed, he got more and more rowdy, and was soon causing quite a scene with our guests,” Sarah states.

During the event Sarah in an audio file claims the man was at his worst during the wedding days evening. She claims the man was all over soliciting for sex from guests, her daughters female friends and male friends infront of all the guests. Sarah claims there are multiple reports from the incident because offended guests went ahead to report the incident at Spring Valley Police station. At the party, which was on December 22, 2018, it is said that he would tell everybody that he was going to divorce the wife and chase out the daughter.

In the subsequent days Mr Cohen would then refuse to accompany his wife and the guests on a safari, stating that he was in a ‘war mood’,  break into the family safe and take all the family documents and on many times threatening Sarah of divorcing her marking the genesis of a bitter separation that led to his disappearance.

Mr Cohen went missing on July 20, after leaving his house in a white car that had been waiting for him outside the gate. A day before he went missing, a letter addressed to the Dutch Embassy in Nairobi and signed by Sarah indicated that Tob was battling depression and often picked fights with those around him.

Investigations are still ongoing.

The Akasha brothers drug cartel and the gangs brutal and murderous methods have been laid bare in a court in New York. In a document released by Geoffrey S. Berman United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York that also sucked in flamboyant politician Stanley Livondo, businessman Ali Punjani among other notable names, Key witness Vicky Goswami  pulled down the veil on the ugly drug cartel.

The story of the drug empire that expanded and thrived by paying out law enforcement agencies, politicians, judicial officers, prosecutors and influential families. A tale of torture and murder by two brothers Baktash Akasha Abdalla and Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla who took over the drug business from their father who was killed in 2000.

For decades before their capture in 2017, the Akashas run an international drug business, distributing large quantities of Mandrax, cocaine, hashish, heroin, and ephedrine, among other substances, to locations all over the world.

The brothers who had grown an enormous sophisticated international drug trafficking network are said to have been purchasing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Tanzania and making a profit of about Sh6 million ($60,000) to Sh7 million ($70,000) per kilo by distributing it to street users in Kenya.

Using proceeds from their mandrax precursor business, the defendants paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to local officials, including prosecutors, judges, politicians, and law enforcement

Goswami regularly visited their operational base which was Baktash’s home in Mombasa and also hang around the brothers through some of the many acts of violences the brothers committed.

In one case the brothers went toe to toe with their drug trafficking ally David Armstrong after a business row. Goswami and the brothers helped David Armstrong bribe Kenyan Immigration officials over $200,000 and in return David would give half a million mandrax tablets to Goswami in South Africa and 25 percent share of David’s  mandrax tablets manufacture in Congo to the brothers.

David who was protected by flamboyant politician Stanley Livondo would then fail to honour the deal and attempt to elude. The brothers in a series of anger then hunted him down kidnapped him and beat him senseless in an attempt to make sure no one would ever cross them again. Goswami further states Baktash threatened to kill Armstrong with his handgun

“He was beating him and he was very angry, and he was
saying: You are playing games with us, you don’t pay our
money. And he kept on beating him.

 Next he moved his gun from his handbag and points at him
and say: I will kill you also.“

In the days that followed that incident at Baktash’s home where he pointed a gun at Armstrong, Goswami testifies to have heard a conversations between Livondo and Baktash during which Livondo threatened to come down to Mombasa and confront the brothers.

“Livondo was telling Baktash: Why did you need beat David
Armstrong? I’m coming to Mombasa and I’m going to beat s**t
out of you when I came to Mombasa. He was threatening Baktash.” Goswami states.

Goswami names Livondo as an Armstrong associate brave enough to confront Baktash at a shopping mall in Mombasa called City Mall.  Livondo he says, approached the brothers in the mall three days after he issued the threats over the phone ensuing a huge brawl in public which saw Ibrahim whip out his gun and threaten to shoot Livondo

“While they were fighting Baktash fell down on the floor and
Ibrahim pulls out his gun and points it at Livondo to stop it,
stop it, otherwise I’m going to kill you.“Goswami states

The sight of Ibrahim’s gun caused panic in the shopping mall, and so Baktash, Ibrahim, Goswami, and a bodyguard quickly fled then later headed to the police station to bribe the officers ensuring that there was no fallout from the incident

Akashas armed confrontation with politician Stanley Livondo saw tensions escalate in the weeks after Armstrong’s kidnapping. The altercation with Livondo only fueled the dispute with Armstrong.  Pinky,  Armstrong’s right hand man based in South Africa was the first to feel the wrath of the brothers after they hired Goswami’s brother in law to kill him. He was pumped with 32 bullets while in his car and a party held at Baktash’s home to celebrate his death.

The document states that in 2014, as part of a sting operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Akashas were given the opportunity to import mass quantities of heroin and methamphetamine into the United States. “They jumped at the chance. Ultimately, the Akashas supplied confidential sources working at the direction of the DEA with 99 kilograms of heroin and 2 kilograms of methamphetamine,” it reads.

Baktash and Ibrahim were arrested in Mombasa by Kenyan and US detectives before they were extradited to the US to face the charges

The self-confessed international drug trafficker Baktash Akasha was sentenced to 25 years in a US jail and fined $100,000 (Sh10.3 million) for conspiring to import and importing heroin and methamphetamine, conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices in connection with their drug-trafficking crimes while Ibrahim Akasha, his younger brother who faced similar offenses, will be sentenced in November 8th later this year.

Time will only tell what the Kenyan government plans to do about those bribed and named prominent people aiding and abetting the criminal enterprise. Unfortunately as expected, the brothers narcotics smuggling cartels, cocaine and heroin godfathers or godmothers have already taken over the turf and filled the vacuum left open by the family of the extradited drug cartel in Kenya.

A contractor has moved to court looking to have damages paid after Consolidated Bank colluded with other persons to rob him.

Sketchers LTD, a general contractor has sued the bank for opening an account in his name in collision with other persons without his knowledge.

The contractor claims he came to know of the fraud when he phoned the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA) for his delayed payment but was informed the money had been deposited in his account, which did not check out.

After investigating the payment the contactor was waiting for from KERRA did not actually make it to his account but was instead deposited into the cloned account. In the court papers he claims the proceeds which were about sh 4,307,098 were then authorized for withdrawal by a Mr. David Ndirangu.

Through A.I Onyango and Co. advocates the contractor accuses the bank of failing to practice due diligence before opening the account and colluding with third parties letting a person not known to him open an account in his name and transact fraudulence business.

He further accuses the bank of negligence for not veryfing whether documents used while opening the account were genuine.

He also states he was approached and asked to drop the suit and in return get his money but cannot in an attempt to clear his name and regain his credibility which was lost when the government agencies thought he was attempting to defraud them by asking for pay twice.

He claims KERRA has since blacklisted him for the fraud and the Kenya Revenue Authority sent him notice of withheld income tax and VAT over the same.

He wants the court to compell Consolidated bank to pay him back the money withdrawn, compensation for general and punitive damages and for the bank to issue an apology to KERRA clearing his name.

The case will be heard September 10th.

The flag carrier airline of Kenya is on the spot yet again this time over  Sh100 billion lost between 2003 and 2014, the nine years when Titus Naikuni was in charge.

The Director of Criminal Investigations has begun investigating the airways staff deploying forensic experts to go through through the company records and contracts with suppliers immediately. An audit report prepared by the audit firm Deloitte four years ago triggered the probe.

The investigation will look to verify whether the KQ staff were complicit in a global money-laundering ring in a conspiracy to bring down the airline. Police also suspected the money was used to fund terrorism in the region.

According to the Deloitte dossier, KQ used the black market to repatriate cash from Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia back to Nairobi. The airline via transactions pre-approved by then KQ chief executive officer Titus Naikuni and the finance director Alex Mbugua used an agent identified as Khalid Mohammed Ali who charged an exorbitant fee way above the market rate estimated be about Sh5.4 billion.

In KQ’s internal audit the team had asked why the airline contracted the agent when rival airlines complied with the rules in Ethiopia and Sudan to use the formal banking system.

Also under investigation is how Titus Naikuni and co.  purchased a second-hand plane from KQ’s Dutch shareholder KLM for Sh2 billion and sold off the same aircraft at Sh200 million after only five years making a substancial loss of Sh1.8 billion.

Kinoti’s team is also investigating suspicious transactions ranging from ticketing. The airline lost Sh77 billion in undervalued tickets and the huge discounts allocated to travel agents who in turn charge travelers a premium. In one case,  travel agents charged two officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure members of the KQ board almost thrice the initial fare, but only remitted the actual price back to KQ further bagging home commission from the same tickets sale.

The auditors also accuse the KQ management of allowing its staff to void, refund and reissue tickets, causing a revenue loss of $12 million.

According to reports the airline was also huddled with theft of parts in aircraft maintenance in one case the reports say an employee hacked into the OASES inventory management system at the airline, created an account “rk’ and made away with Sh60 million spare parts in one year.

The dubious transactions spread over to jet fuel procurement. In the procurement KQ still bought overpriced fuel on account of their hedging policy. after investigations the airline had lost Sh3.3 billion.

Auditors say KQ also wound up a profitable cargo subsidiary, gave its business to a rival company and paid Sh400 million to the company, instead of expanding its cargo capacity.

The corporate greed explains why the airline has been making losses despite the rise in revenues and passenger numbers. Kenya Airways doubled its loss from last year by recording an 8.56 billion loss for the half year ending June 30th. The airline recorded a loss of 4 billion for the same period last year.

The old Sh1,000 banknotes that are being withdrawn by the Central Bank of Kenya from the market will be shredded and burned into ashes in Nairobi’s Kariobangi area.

The old notes will be immediately transported in trucks to the CBK headquarters when they are received, here verification will take place, the notes will then be stored in a deoxygenated room under strict supervision of trustees and senior police officers attached to the bank.

The collected notes will then be cut into finer shreds and packed in sacks before being transported to Kariobangi North, near the market on a date set by top officials where they will all be burnt in the open under the watch of armed police officers.

The percentage of Sh1,000 notes exchanged will be announced on the last day.

Members of the public who wish to change the old notes can visit CBK’s head office on Nairobi’s Haile Selassie Avenue or any of its branches in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Meru, Nakuru and Nyeri.

President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the new currencies during the 56th Madaraka Day celebrations in Narok on June 1 this year. Kenya is withdrawing the old Sh1,000 note with a new note in an exercise expected to be completed by end of September.

The currency change comes as required by the new constitution. “Notes and coins issued by the Central bank of Kenya may bear the images that depict or symbolise Kenya or an aspect of Kenya, but shall not bear the image of an individual,” Article 231(4) of the Constitution reads.

Activist Okiya Omtata has filed a petition in court challenging the inclusion of the founding President in one of the notes saying it violates the Constitution. He argues that putting a picture of Mzee Kenyatta’s full statue, which is erected in front of KICC on every note, CBK acted mischievously to sneak the portrait of the late President.

Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge has insisted the deadline for the withdrawal of the old Sh1,000 notes will not be extended. “Kenyans love extensions, but if we have an extension to this process it defeats the purpose of the demonetisation. So, come midnight of the last day of September, that’s it,” Dr Njoroge said.

Afrison Import and Export Limited Managing Director Francis Mburu is now demanding over Sh36 billion from the government for failing to protect him from illegal encroachers and for forcibly taking over his land in Ruaraka.

In a suit filed at the High Court, the businessman claims the current value of his land is Sh23 billion with a further Sh13 billion arising from loss of rental income and accrued interest. In the case, Mburu, through his companies Afrison Export Import Limited and Huelands Limited, has sued the Nairobi City County, National Land Commission (NLC) and the Attorney General.

The businessman accuses the County government of Nairobi and National Land Commision of using him as a scapegoat and cover-up for illegalities and unconstitutional actions. “..Whereas the respondents have the accurate records of the suit property, they have actively been publishing untrue and misleading information that affects my integrity,” says Mburu.

Mburu accuses the Attorney General of failing to protect him in the alleged illegal acquisition of his property.

The multimillionare further accuses the government of illegally taking over his property and unlawfully allocating it to rich private developers who have erected high-rise commercial and residential buildings, with the state connecting and supplying them with water, electricity sewerage and other amenities.

“NCC saw in my properties an opportunity to receive premiums, rents and rates not withstanding that it had not compulsorily acquired the same and paid compensation to me, NCC is actively disposing off and illegally offering the suit property to private developers which greatly prejudices me.  The County has been assuming not only ownership but has also demanded rates and land rents over the property which they have been in occupation from inception,” says Mburu.

The Ruaraka land saga has not just began, In June, Justices Elijah Obaga, Benard Eboso and Kossy Bor castigated NLC for sanctioning the payment of Sh1.5 billion made by the Ministry of Education to the businessman, saying it was irregular, as the land in which two public schools stand, belongs to the government. Mr Mburu has since appealed against the decision and in the fresh case says the Ksh.1.5 billion that was declared illegal should be reclaimed from the Ksh.36 billion he is now demanding, should he lose the appeal.

In May Lands Court judge John Mutungi ruled that Gospel Evangelistic Church (GEC) should remain on a 1.8 acres, part of the 96-acre parcel of land. The businessman lost the Sh21 million parcel of land in Ruaraka following a seven-year court battle.

Britania Foods limited have sacked  CEO Robert Kagundah in a letter addressed to all Britania staff dated the 28th August 2019 as seen by Kenya Insights. Kenya Insights had previously covered the rot at the private sector and an exclusive on Robert Kagundah.

Ina move dubbed to enhance the governance environment and management capability Ahsan Manji will take over as the interim Executive Director with overall management responsibility for the affairs and operations of the company  wile Julius Kiptoo will be the new acting General manager.

Under Kagundah Britania Foods Ltd had become the epitome of corruption in the FMCG sector.

Robert Kagundah had been involved in corruption scandals where he reportedly awarded contracts to those close to him. In one instance Kagundah awarded a catering and cake supply contract to CIVA cakes, owned by his “girlfriend” who is a married woman.

Britania Foods Limited staff had over many occasions  accused the top management of irregularly running the company that was in 2017 acquired by Nairobi-based private equity firm Catalyst Principal Partners.

Two Indian men were on Monday deported after getting charged with two counts of illegal medical practice and being in Kenya illegally.

A Chinese investor has been charged before a Nairobi court with tax evasion amounting to Sh194 million.

The accused, new X-Tigi Technology Limited director Gao Fei, who has been on the run, appeared before Milimani Resident Magistrate Muthoni Nzibe where he was charged with failure to declare and remit taxes for a period of eight months that was commensurate to the company’s sales. He denied the charges.

Mr Fei was accused that on diverse dates between January 2015 and June 2016, in Nairobi being the director of New X-Tigi, he failed to pay VAT amounting to Sh194,357,743 for the year starting January 2015 to July 2016.

Prosecution accused Fei that on June 30, 2016 in Nairobi, being a registered taxpayer PIN No. P051576009G, had failed to submit tax returns for the year 2016 as of due date June 30, 2016 to KRA.

It was further alleged that on June 30, 2015 in Nairobi, being director of New X-Tigi Technology Limited, Mr Fei failed to submit tax returns for the year 2015.

The prosecution opposed the release of the accused on bail, stating that the accused person was a flight risk. He was however released on a cash bail of Ksh150,000 with a bond of sh1 million and ordered to deposit his passport in court pending hearing which is scheduled for September 26, 2019.