Category: Investigations

An insurance company associated with Deputy President William Ruto is the latest to find itself entangled in a Ksh20 million lucrative garbage collection contract that Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko allegedly pocketed.

The governor was summoned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) this week to give details on how Ksh20 million from some companies that were doing business with the Nairobi County government in the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 financial years found its way into his account.

According to Nation, Amaco Insurance which is the insurance company associated with Deputy President William Ruto has had a running contract since 2013 to insure Nairobi County government vehicles. The same company has an ongoing three-year contract with Arbab Auto Care Ltd, a garage on Kangundo Road that was signed in 2016. County government’s vehicles are taken for repairs here.

Sonko told EACC detectives that two months after getting into office, the Treasury released Ksh100 million to the county to pay Amaco for services rendered. Amaco then wired more than Sh20 million in bank transfers of Sh10.7 million, Sh7.5 million and Sh5.3 million to Arbab as part of their contract.

Sonko has insisted that the Sh20 million traced to his account by EACC  was from businesses he engaged in before he became the county chief. He claims any  money Mr Anthony Otieno Ombok (owner of Arbab) may have sent him was part-payment for a piece of land in Mavoko, which he sold to him in early 2017. He bought the land from former Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives claim that some of the firms that won the Sh357 million tender wired more than Sh20 million to Sonko’s bank accounts.

Sonko is also under investigation for allegedly receiving a bribe from a garbage collection company called Hardi Enterprises Ltd, which is owned by city businessman Anthony Mwaura. The businessman is said to have deposited deposited Sh500,000 to the governor’s account on one occasion and another Sh1 million on another from his personal account.

The governor who seems to have all the answers claims the businessman who also owns a piping company bought land from him for a water project since it cut through a piece of land he owned in Kwale. However, “Coincidentally”  Hardi Enterprises was among the companies awarded the garbage collection tender.

The red flag over the garbage collection tender was first raised by the Nairobi County Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee in 2018, revealing Ksh162 million that City Hall’s Environment Department could not account for.

Mr Sonko blamed people in his office, whom he did not name, for making the payments behind his back.

Over the years G4S security has been making news for all the wrong reasons. The company which boasts of specializing in sectors where security and safety risks are considered a strategic threat have lost billions of Kenya Shillings they were supposed to safeguard.

Here is a timeline of some of the most notable heists that took place while G4s were in charge of security from 2009 to 2019.

September 2009 – Administration Police and G4S employees make away with Ksh34 million they were supposed to be loading onto ATMs at Yaya Centre in Nairobi.

November 2009 – An Administration Police (AP) and a G4S security van driver steal Ksh22 million. In a statement released by G4S Director of sales the driver and the AP made away with $300,000 at about 1pm. The money was destined for Wilson Airport enroute to Juba, South Sudan.

Amount of money stolen under G4S between September and November 2009 rises to about Ksh56 Million.

In the National Assembly official report 2009, Assistant minister, Ministry of state for provincial administration and internal security Mr. Ojode states the Government had began to loose confidence in G4S as the company had lost Ksh86,651,000 while in transit.

February 2010 – A G4S cash-in-transit ‘crew’ disappear with over Ksh300 million in Mombasa leaving the police escorts stranded. “We have no doubt this is an inside job.” Head of Special Crime Prevention Unit Richard Katola says.

October 2010 – Thugs disguised as G4S personnel and police officers walk into a commercial bank in the city centre and steal Sh80 million. “Co-Op bank sues G4S in 2013.”

January 2011 – A Ms Atieno Owiti and Bibian Nyaga of G4S are charged with stealing Ksh 24, 181, 657 property of G4S at Standard Chartered bank Harrambee Avenue branch.

Between July 16, 2012 and October 29, 2013 – Mr Wambugu a G4S Kenya accounts Clerk is charged with making away with Ksh59 million from his employer by colluding with senior managers and suppliers.

April 2013 – Gangsters allegedly ambush G4S transporting KCB bank’s Sh6.7 million from Busia to Kisumu before making away with over Sh5 million near Ugunja.

December 2016 – January 2017 – Four G4S employees charged with stealing Ksh580,000 from Faulu bank along Ngong road. Investigations reveal that the alarm went off at around 2am and the backup team from the security firm went to the bank then left without reporting anything.

April 2019 – Ksh 14 million stolen at 4 Barclays bank ATMs during Easter holiday.  Police turn to G4S the security group contracted to man the four ATMs suspecting an inside job.

September 2019 – Imposters pretending to be police escorts steal Ksh72 million from Standard Chartered Bank  ATMs and G4S in Nairobi West Area.

All these heists follow a similar trend to shout Inside Jobs. A bigger story in the cooks as big people in higher ranks suspected to drive and plan these movie like heists. Do you consider G4S a reliable courrier? Leave your comments down below.

Safaricom is battling a Sh115Trillion class action suit that this site has actively been updating on. While this case is unlikely to be highlighted in the mainstream media in which according to the petitioner a Mr. Benedict is as a result of Safaricom’s big financial muscles and putting the media in their pockets, Kenya Insights covers it extensively.

As you’ve seen in our part oneone and two of the serialization, Safaricom is being accused of letting data of about 11.5M gamblers data breached. According to a lawsuit in court, Data of gambling customers was obtained from the system through their own employees( Safaricom admitted to this by charging the employees involved).

Data which was then to be sold to third parties contained private information of customers and on being exposed to unauthorized users not only put themselves at risks of illegalities but also put serious data protection on the company. It’s unimaginable what a third party would do with that much information on customers that was breached.

In a well planned heist that would later backfire, a Mr. Mark and Mr.Charles(Former Safaricom employee) conspired with Safaricom’s employees; Brian Wamatu and Simon Billy Kinuthia, conspired to steal and sell the data to a gambling firm since it had gamblers data. In mind, they wanted Sportpesa as they’d give a lucrative deal.

Mark, a computer geek and a conspirator in the deal, approached Mr. Benedict Kabugi who would later make the meeting with Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri possible to negotiate a deal.

As things would turn out, Benedict was arrested by CID detectives based in Safaricom and questioned, his cooperation would then lay ground for a sting operation where Mark and Charles were arrested leading to the arrests of Safaricom’s employees Brian and Billy.

During questioning, Charles who in his statement said he was a former employee of Safaricom and what remains not only interesting but incriminating statement on his former employer.

Charles in his statement said he met Brian Wamatu in 2009 at Safaricom when he joined the company. They both worked in the IT department as project managers.

As former colleagues and family friends, Brian had indulged Charles on a marketing scheme and that he had Safaricom’s customers data that would be monetized. “He advises me that he was aware that there’s a comprehensive database of betting data that was already in the market and possibly in use by other companies.” Charles said in his statement according to court documents seen by Kenya Insights.

Brian promised to introduce Charles to someone who had the knowledge of the database and eventually linking to the data. Later on, Charles was introduced to a Mr. Billy Kinuthia who also happened to be a Safaricom employee and an IT consultant.

“Mr Billy advised me that he was aware of the data and that he would connect me to the providers.” Charles noted in his statement.

Charles confirmed how he would receive an anonymous google drive link for an account named “root kitting” and instructions to download. He explains how this became the standard procedure an indication that data was illegally accessed severally.

He even goes further to indicate that he attended an official meeting at the Safaricom’s offices in 2017 whilst working for a company he refers to as “Mtandao” with the sole agenda for the meeting being to discuss how Safaricom could monetize data from its M-pesa platform and customer data base.

He confirms receiving a sample through the now “normal channels” and receiving the google drive links for download and which data they were informed at the time of the arrest, had been irregularly obtained from Safaricom.

In the backdrop of all this, it’s likely that Safaricom might survive but again it’s alarming because Kenya doesn’t have well laid data protection laws. According to different sources, data of customers which includes politicians, mighty people in this country, more scandalous is even Muslim faithfuls who were betting during the holy month contrary to religious beliefs is in the exposed database. What happens if this data gets into the hands of rogue characters and it’s leaked especially in this dark web error?

Safaricom on their side have failed their customers in this instant to protect their data and privacy. A breach of trust. It’s even more disturbing when former employees confess that the company is allegedly involved in selling or intending to sell customers data to third parties. It’s illegal because when one subscribes to Safaricom, there’s no section in the T&Cs that allows that to sell their data to third party, they need to protect their privacy.

While the data protection laws in Kenya are really weak for Safaricom to shoot themselves in the foot, it’s high time Kenyans and lawmakers take seriously. From the statements, this data that’s petitioned could possibly be with other companies who knows what unauthorized persons would do with such privileged data?

Safaricom need to take extra measures to ensure data of customers is kept in safety. While in Kenya strict data laws don’t exist, Safaricom could be facing bigger problems outside the borders. It’s reported that over 500 data of foreign gamblers in Kenya was breached and they’re taking things to the international court.

It now emerges that Safaricom’s troubles are going international with two possible lawsuits likely to be lodged in Paris and London. According to a London based publication, two new lawsuits are preparing to be filed sometime in the next couple of weeks in both London and Paris. 

They are being introduced based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU), and assert that the data breach affected over 500 European citizens that reside in Kenya.Since the GDPR specifies how data of EU citizens has to be protected, even beyond EU borders, the lawsuits allege that Safaricom can be held accountable.

Following our previous episodes of this data breach expose, many gamblers suspecting their data was breached have reached out to this site on how they can enjoin the petition. We shall update you when we have the right information and give you the right direction. For now the matter is before court with only one petitioner Mr. Benedict Kabugi.

Big question now is; if we’re to take Safaricom’s Former employees confessions that customers data are already with other companies then just how spread is this and how safe is it on customers who’s private information is exposed to unauthorized users. Lastly, what punitive measures is Safaricom taking to protect consumers considering they’re own turner employers have implicated them in third parties data sales?

On July 29, 2011−The World Bank announced the debarment of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Limited, and all its subsidiaries, for fraudulent practices under Phase 1 of the Philippines National Roads Improvement and Management Project. Under the sanction, CCCC was henceforth ineligible to engage in any road and bridge projects financed by the World Bank Group until January 12, 2017.

CCCC is the designated successor entity to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which, along with six other firms and one individual, was debarred by the World Bank for eight years, beginning January 12, 2009, following an investigation of the National Roads Improvement and Management Project by the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT).

Earlier July, 2011, China’s National People’s Congress amended the country’s criminal law to make it an offence for Chinese companies and Chinese nationals to bribe foreign government officials in favour for tenders. The law applies to companies organized under Chinese law and included Chinese companies overseas and wholly foreign-owned enterprises in China. This was done in a fierce bid to curb corruption.

On June 12, 2019, the World Bank again announced that China-based Dongfang Electronics Co. Ltd. (“Dongfang”) would be debarred for fifteen (15) months for fraudulently bidding on a $60 million electrical expansion project in Liberia.

These are some few examples of how fraudulent Chinese and their companies are nolonger hygienic in business. Cheap is expensive, I would say. They have been Tried, Tested and Confirmed to be unsuitable in many occasions and especially for Kenya, a country that top the rankings in the world in reference to Corruption which has become an activity and is currently at the highest libido in fighting corruption.

The corruption agencies currently, are at their best than ever, arresting, prosecuting; Cabinet Secretaries and their aides, Billionaire Businessmen evading tax and that’s just to mention a few and even convicting the guilty. The drums can be heard in all corners and even in vacuum mysteriously, where the rogue Chinese thinks they’re. The dog has been barking but not biting but this time round the dog is barking and biting even the owner.Now, lets get to the main agenda.

The World Bank on barring China Construction and Communication Company did not issue any restriction to any country from collaborating or dealing with CCCC but as a country which is fighting corruption,the debarment by World Bank also applies to procurement conducted by public entities in Kenya pursuant to Section 3 (g) of the Procurement and Disposal Act, 2015 which states that all public procurement and disposal in Kenya shall abide by International norms as well and which in this case is the International norms of World Bank.

On 23rd March, 2016 according to documents seen by Kenya Insights, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) in the subject tender KPA/077/2017-18/PDM ENGINEERING, PROCUREMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW KIPEVU OIL TERMINAL, CCCC was allowed to participate in the said tender on the basis of a pre-qualification tender process when this was against the law of the land as stated above, Section 3 (g) of the Procurement and Disposal Act, 2015.

The pre-qualification exercise enabled KPA to shortlist 12 firms out of 31 firms that participated and on July 2016 KPA informed the shortlisted 12 firms including CCCC of their invitation for the tender bid.In pursuant to the requirements of Sections 55 (5) of the public procurement and Asset disposal Act, 2015 which states that the procuring entity shall consider a tenderer as illegible to participate in procurement proceedings for providing inaccurate or incomplete information (55,5), CCCC went against the law of the land for providing false and inaccurate information following its debarment by World Bank from participation in any procurement process.

CCCC deliberately and with impunity did not provide information that by the time of their participation in the pre- qualification process for the tender, they were debarred by World Bank from participating in any procurement process for committing corrupt and fraudulent acts and that by the that time of pre-qualification in 2016, the debarment was on course till January 2017.

Section 62 of the act and standard form titled “Self Declaration That The Person/Tenderer Is Not Debarred In The Matter Matter Of Public Procurement And Asset Disposal Act 2015” demands that the tenderer or subcontractors admits their status of debarrement from participating in any public procurement process and therefore act by CCCC to give misinformation made them ineligible to participate in the subject tender for construction of new Kipevu Oil terminal.

Following these irregularities, Kenyan authorities are at a better position as World bank to debar China Communications and Construction Company from participating in any public procurement Public Procurement and Regulatory Authority inconsideration to Section 41 [1] [a, b & d] of the Act.

In rebuttal, CCCC through their managing director according to a letter seen by Kenya Insights played the debarment down saying it didn’t include port projects rather limited to WorldBank funded bridges and roads.

In the backdrop of all these, Senior Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) officials are likely to be arrested over the Sh40 billion Kipevu Oil Terminal scandal being investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). Among the officials implicated in the scandal are Managing Director Daniel Manduku, and former MD Catherine Mturi-Wairi.

Kenya Insights sources also imply that the CCCC directors will also be arrested. Others on the list also includes; Head of Procurement and Supplies Anthony Nyamancha, former Head of Procurement and Supplies Yobesh Oyaro, and chairman of the tender committee Rashid Salim.

The EACC has assembled at least 30 files to make its case in the matter, which it has been investigating since January following a complaint by a Mr. Dan to the PPRA.

On the 18th May, Benedict Kabugi Met his friend Jimmy At Saape Lounge along Kiambu Road. Unknown to him, he was walking into what would bring more troubles in his life.

A familiar friend, Benedict thought it was one of the very many usual catch up meetings. Shock on him, when he arrived, Jimmy had unfamiliar company, Mark.

A computer geek, Mark had a pricy commodity that would be beneficial to all; Safaricom internal data on all gamblers in Kenya. In total, 11.5M authentic data that would be sold.

Mark wanted a direct communication and link to Sportpesa, by then the leading betting firm in Kenya. In his head, this data would bring more business to the firm given it held the basic data of all gamblers in Kenya Using Safaricom. It was a rich source, so he thought.

Benedict being a well connected fellow in Nairobi, was the perfect person to do the link up, that’s according to his friend Jimmy who linked him and Mark up. 

Mark wanted a meeting with Sportpesa’s Chairman Paul Ndungu and the CEO Ronald Karauri so that’s how Benedict came into the picture as he was the reliable one to do the link up.

In the meeting, Mark gave a sample of the data to ascertain how genuinely it was. He wanted to sell the data to Sportpesa. Benedict curious to confirm the authenticity of the data and being a Safaricom subscriber and gambler, entered his credentials and shock on him, his gambling history and data was all captured in the cache and that’s when his curiosity hit the sky.

They parted ways with the promise that Benedict would arrange for a meeting with Sportpesa so this data would be sold. That was on a Saturday. On Sunday, Mark was blowing up Ben’s phone eager to know the developments, this was a rich resource and huge money in the offing.

However, Benedict felt like held so much in his hands and thought the data in his possession would put him at a greater risk so on Monday 20th he reported to Parklands DCIO where he was handled by a Mr. Njoroge.

He informed him about the data breach, Mr. Njoroge then called Mr. Rabala a DCI detective attached to Safaricom. By then, he was in court over a matter, he promised to get back. After exchanging contacts, Benedict would then be talking to Mr. Rabala on this matter.

Using WhatsApp, Benedict shared the sample of the data that he had received from Mark with Mr. Rabala. Apparently, the detective went mute for about two weeks after the initial communication with Ben and this where he took yet another step.

Because it was taking too long and Mark was asserting pressure for the Sportpesa meeting, Benedict then contacted a Mr Lokopoyit who’s the director of financial services at Safaricom. He sent him the 2,000 data sample that Mark had initially sent to him.

Mr. Lokopoyit who was engaged elsewhere then delegated a Mr. Patrick Kinoti who’s also a senior manager at Safaricom to handle the data matter with Benedict. At that point, they deemed it a serious matter.

When the two finally met, Kinoti had one key issue; how he got hold of the privileged data that only accessible to Safaricom employees and how to get the insiders who leaked this data. Kinoti in his statement said he verified the data and found it to be authentic.

In the meeting Kinoti allegedly told Benedict that there’s a fund for useful intelligence like that of data that he gave so he proposed a Sh3,000,000 reward which Benedict boldly declined.

From the WhatsApp and texts records that were presented in court and Kenya Insights has seen, there was an active negotiation between the two parties to have Benedict rewarded for the intelligence and also as a compensation of his data as a gambler having been breached. The negotiations came down to a Sh.100,000,000 stop.

The meeting ended with Kinoti saying he had to make further consultations and would get back to Benedict. He then sent him a ‘weekend token’ of Sh50,000 on Mpesa. Text Evidence of this transaction was presented in court in court and Kenya Insights has seen the same.

They drew a deal, Benedict had to perfect the plan to have the insiders apprehended, he had the Diamond, Mark who had the data, would smoothly lay the trap to the boys and eventually get to the sources.

So they agreed that he ‘keeps the boys warm’ according to one of his texts to Ben that is also before the court and seen by Kenya Insights. By this, Benedict had to keep with the Sportpesa meeting. He orchestrated the meeting with Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri. There were 2 meetings with Ronald Karauri, the first one was at club Milan in Westlands on 3rd June and the second at ABC place on 7th the second and last meeting and that’s the day Benedict was arrested. 

Charles, the former employee of Safaricom had been sent by Mark to represent him in the meeting where he showed Karauri the sample of data and made it clear he wanted to sell it to him.

Even though Kenya Insights has not independently verified this since we’re not in hold of the said data. According to court documents, the database had the following information of all the gamblers:-

(i) Mpesa Detail;

(ii) Total bet amount;

(iii) Area/region/county;

(iv) First name, middle name, surname;

(v) Gender;

(vi) Date of birth;

(vii) Nationality;

(viii) Document type (National ID Card/Refugee ID);

(ix) Debit Party;

(x) Number of Companies;

(xi) Number of pay ins;

(xii) Latest bet date;

(xiii) Earliest bet date;

(xiv) Latest pay in to;

(xv) MSISDN-IMEI;

(xvi) Handset name;

(xvii) Manufacturer;

(xviii) Indicator 2G/3G;

(xix) Dual Sim and SFC class.

(i) Mobile Number;

(ii) First name, middle name, surname;

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(iii) Gender;

(iv) Date of birth;

(v) Document type (National Identity Card/passport number/certificate of registration);

(vi) Latest area, region, county, locality.

This was a rich data for any betting firm which they’d easily use to target and market to gamblers. While the negotiations with Sportpesa was ongoing, Kinoti was also putting up His bargain.

In a text, Kinoti told Benedict that the Sh100M Bounty or Intel compensation that he had asked for was way above the budget. He then asked him ‘what would reasonably make you help us’ which sounds like a negotiating language. Kinoti made it clear that they wanted help to bring to an end the data issue.

All this time, Kinoti was aware of the Sportpesa meeting and told Benedict to keep in touch with the boys. On 6th June, DCI detectives which Benedict says are attached to Safaricom, apprehended him and he was taken to DCI HQ, recorded a statement and taken to Gigiri Police where he spent the night.

Benedict who told the court that his arrest was illegal and irregular, was released the next day after making an agreement to help the police lay an net and nab the insiders who leaked the data. He told the court that he acted in good faith by reporting the breach to all relevant authorities and that in no way he acted in bad faith. He believes the police were used to harass and intimidate him. He was released without any charge.

He then worked with the detectives in a sting operation that led to the arrest of Mark and Charles on the 7th June. In the operation, the police confiscated the laptop that held the 11.5M data of Safaricom subscribers.

Mark and Charles then led police to the main sources of the data. Brian Wamatu and Simon Billy Kinuthia who’re Safaricom employees were waiting nearby for their share of the loot when the cops pounced and arrested them.

On 10th June, the two employees were charged in court for stealing data from Safaricom and giving it to illegal third part, Charles. Charge sheet also says that with menaces, they demanded Sh300,000,000 from Safaricom within intent to steal. Benedict was placed as a witness in this case.

An interesting statement came from Charles who said he was a Safaricom’s former employee. In his statement a lot of data concerns arises:-

He indicated that he worked with Brian Wamatu Njoroge (one of the Safaricom’s employees charged in the criminal case) and it is Brian who told him that there was a comprehensive data base of betting in the market already in use by some companies;

Charles confirmed that Brian introduced him to Billy Kinuthia (the second of the Safaricom’s employee charged in the criminal case) with Billy Kinuthia indicating that he would arrange for samples of the data;

Charles confirmed how he would receive an anonymous google drive link for an account named “root kitting” and instructions to download. He explains how this became the standard procedure an indication that data was illegally accessed severally.

He even goes further to indicate that he attended an official meeting at the Safaricom’s offices in 2017 whilst working for a company he refers to as “Mtandao” with the sole agenda for the meeting being to discuss how Safaricom could monetize data from its M-pesa platform and customer data base.

He confirms receiving a sample through the now “normal channels” and receiving the google drive links for download and which data they were informed at the time of the arrest, had been irregularly obtained from Safaricom.

According to his further affidavit, Benedict raised concerns on the data safety solely from Charles statement. “the above statement is extremely worrying and a proper reflection of the fear pertaining to data breach and the cavalier manner in which subscribers’ data is dealt with by employees of the Respondent as well as the Respondent itself.”

He argued that Safaricom has an obligation to its subscribers to protect their data and under no circumstances should it’s agents, employees or servants be able to access let alone copy the data and forward the same to outside parties.

He went further to say that there is clearly a failing on the part of Safaricom and their systems. Despite the incriminating statement from Charles, there has been no charge proffered against him to date.

The issue of data protection is one which the world is grappling with as evidenced by:-

(i) The fine of 183,000,000 pounds issued to British Airways as a result of hackers who stole client data;

(ii) The 5,000,000,000 dollars settlement to be paid by Facebook as a result of various data breach incidents.

Through his lawyer Prof Albert Mumma, Benedict wrote a demand letter to Safaricom for over breach of his privacy and malicious arrests that he insists was played by Safaricom’s attached detectives. In reply, Safaricom argued that letter was filed with malice and said he was being used by a criminal enterprise. They instructed him to report the matter to police as they’d not use mere claim of being in possession of data to write anything home.

Funny how in their letter, Safaricom conveniently left out the parts where Benedict had already reported the matter to DCIO Parklands and even their own Mr. Rabala whom they were in direct contact with and he even shared the sample of the breached data for verification. All this time he was playing ball with Safaricom to help them get the insiders leaking their privileged data.

A second demand letter on the infringements of his rights through his lawyer Maina and Maina Advocates would then land him in trouble. Benedict was arrested and charged in court on 10th June for allegedly demanding with menace Sh300M with intent to steal from Safaricom. Patrick Kinoti is the complainant in this criminal case.

Benedict who’s the sole petitioner in the class suit, wanted a court order for the data to be presented in court. It was granted and the data has been presented in court though it was done in private.

Interesting part is he now wants other affected 11.5M gamblers whose data was compromised to join the suit in what would be a huge legal battle. In his suit, Benedict want Safaricom to compensate him Sh100M for his privacy invasion through the data breach of Safaricom. He’s also suing them for his arrests that he terms as malicious.

If the court grants Benedict’s prayers, Safaricom would be compelled to pay Sh115Trillion to all the 11.5M subscribers whose data has been breached. Each of them would then receive Sh10M.Part

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has launched investigations after about 900 Acres of land in Machakos County was allocated to a long list of private firms.

The land which is located in Athi River  was supposed to be used  to supplement the capacity of the Inland Container Depot. Kenya Railways took over the land from the East Africa Portland Company after it made huge losses due to mismanagement and political interference.

The process used to lease the land to the firms for 45 years is suspect after reports emerged there was no transparency in how they were chosen.

EACC is now investing the process which was used by KRC to choose the list of 27 firms including one linked to the Mombasa county Governor Hassan Joho. The KRC 10-member board have since been summoned to integrity centre.

Autoport Freight Terminal Ltd which was allocated 50 acres is closely linked to Joho, During his public spat with President Uhuru Kenyatta leading up to the 2017 polls, the logistics company was a major casualty, with the taxman suspending its operating licence.

Another company is Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd (GBHL) and Buzeki Enterprises whose director is Uasin Gishu politician and businessman Kiprop Bundotich. The company received 50 acres.

Some other notable companies include Prime Bridge Group Ltd, Aya Traders Company Ltd, Company Freight Systems Ltd and MIT Logistics Ltd which were allocated 40 acres each.

There are claims some firms were exempted from any fee because they pumped tens of millions to build a state-of-the-art logistics facility.

When Safaricom employees Simon Billy Kinuthia and Brian Njoroge were formally  charged with demanding Sh300 million from Safaricom and interfering with the Safaricom data, one of The Africa’s leading telecos could’ve drilled a nail in their troubles coffin.

According to a petition filled by a gambler Ben Kabugi, the charging of the two ICT employees was a confirmation that the Safaricom data was accessed, messed and interfered with.

On May 18, Kabugi was approached by an unknown individual, a Mr Mark, who had in his possession Safaricom data estimated at 11,500,000 Safaricom subscribers, the data which was exclusively for gamblers using Safaricom lines.

According to the said data, the 11,500,000 subscribers had used their Safaricom mobile phones to gamble on various betting platforms registered in Kenya. The data from the individual includes all the personal information of all the subscribers who gambles countrywide in different platforms but uses Safaricom lines.

It also has all the details of betting platforms of which the 11,500,000 subscribers gambles with, the amounts of money each subscriber stakes and the location of each gambler endangering and exposing them.

The petitioner upon meeting the stranger with Safaricom data reported the matter at various police station within the country as a precaution. On 20th May, he reported the matter to Parklands DCI where a detective he identifies as Mr. Njoroge handled the case, he even gave him a sample of 10,000 data to show the open breach.

Mr. Njoroge would then refer Ben to a Mr. Rabala who’s attached to the DCI unit at Safaricom for further action. According to Kabugi, he was advised by Mr. Rabala to continue conversation with the Mr Mark as they laid trap to get him.

Rabala had promised to get back to Ben by 21st May, however, he didn’t keep his words, worried that he didn’t make any official statement, he went to Central Police where he recorded a statement with the DCI under the OB No. 80 of 22nd May and they promised to do a follow up.

Nothing much was forthcoming from the investigating authorities and according to documents seen by Kenya Insights, Ben continued to stay in touch with Mark who was the source and didn’t raise and suspicions as instructed by Mr Rabala.

Days later on seeing there was no developments, the petitioner personally approached a Mr Lopokoiyit who’s the Financial Director of services at Safaricom and presented him with all the information that he had about the data breach.

Mr. Lopokoiyit then introduced the petitioner to a Mr. Patrick Kinoti. Meanwhile, Kabugi instructed his lawyers at Prof. Albert Muma & Co advocates and wrote a formal letter to Safaricom on 30th May.

According to court documents seen by Kenya Insights, Mr. Kinoti held a meeting with Kabugi in which he says he was offered Sh3,000,000 by the respondent for infringing his privacy rights. He declined asking for Sh100,000,000 and as a goodwill sign, Ben says he received Sh50,000 as an upfront payment from Mr Kinoti whom he says is a Safaricom employee, this evidence is in court.

Mr. Kinoti asked Ben for time to consult on the matter but asked him to keep conversing with Mr Mark, the source of the data without raising any red flags.

Mark had asked Ben to organize for a meeting with Sportpesa and to keep his hand of the bargain and not to raise any red flags as asked he organized for the meeting. Not much was coming from the investigating end and he didn’t want to lose Mark’ trust.

On 3rd June, Ben orchestrated a meeting with Mark and Sportpesa’s Ronald Karauri, while he doesn’t say the discussions held, he however, says Mr. Kinoti was fully aware of this meeting. Mark also introduced Ben to a Mr. Charles who was his partner.

Shockingly on June 6, 2019, he was arrested and taken to DCI where and was forced to write a statement on data issues. Kabugi said investigation progressed well, until a team from Safaricom joined the probe when he was detained at Gigiri Police Station, Nairobi County, taken to Milimani Law Courts before being charged.

Ben says that regardless, he cooperated with the police and laid a stint operation that led to the arrest of Mr Mark and Charles. During the operation, police confiscated the laptops containing the 11.5M data that was in case.

The arrests led police to the main sources of the illegal data and in line, Brian Njoroge and Billy Kinuthia both Safaricom employees with the latter being the Head Of Regional Expansion- Mobile Money arrested and charged in courts for the data breach on 10th June. Ben remains a witness in this case.

What puzzles Ben according to the petition is as why  Mr. Charles and Mark were never charged and instead listed as witnesses in the case. Ben insists the two were never known to him until 18th May when they approached him.

Ben says in the court documents that he was further arrested on 13th and 19th June in what he alleges is desperate measures by the respondent to push him to soften his stance on the case. He goes further to accuse the respondent for causing him trauma amongst other including damaging his reputation. He’s seeking compensation separately on this.

When Kenya Insights highlighted on the Sh115Trillion suit on Safaricom two months ago, we’ve actively been receiving random mails from curious local gamblers asking for more information on the breach with intentions and questions on enjoining the petition and more on how they can ascertain their data was breached, and if sold to third parties as the petition alleged. mails from unexpected quarters.

It now emerges that Safaricom’s troubles are going international with two possible lawsuits likely to be lodged in Paris and London. According to a London based publication, two new lawsuits are preparing to be filed sometime in the next couple of weeks in both London and Paris. They are being introduced based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU), and assert that the data breach affected over 500 European citizens that reside in Kenya.

Since the GDPR specifies how data of EU citizens has to be protected, even beyond EU borders, the lawsuits allege that Safaricom can be held accountable.

According to Kabugi, the case is still dragging along in court and, late last week, he and his legal team requested from the presiding judge that they be able to present the actual data as proof that Safaricom was compromised. The information has already been handed over and is now being reviewed for its authenticity. How the court rules on the legitimacy of the data could play a major role in how the London and Paris lawsuits play out.

Safaricom may be trying to use its status as one the largest telecommunications company on the continent to thwart any negative legal backlash related to the cases. Kabugi asserts that it has been pressuring media outlets such as the Nation and Standard media groups to avoid the subject, threatening them with pull out of advertising relationships that would cause them to lose major sources of income.

Safaricom is a subsidiary company of UK’s Vodafone. In this petition, Kabugi wants the court to compel Safaricom to pay every customer whose data was breached with Sh10,000,000 and himself the petitioner Sh100,000,000 as the sole petitioner away from the alleged harassment and damage in his reputation.

If anything, Safaricom shouldn’t sit easy given a similar case in which Equifax was slapped with a $650M settlement over the largest data breach. The credit bureau Equifax was told pay about $650 million and perhaps much more to resolve most claims stemming from a 2017 data breach that exposed sensitive information on more than 147 million consumers and demonstrated how little control Americans have over their personal data.

Members of Parliament are questioning how six companies which did not present the lowest bids were awarded tender to supply sanitary towels to school girls, leading to a loss of Sh25 million.

A company such as Konyipad Construction, which emerged number six and quoted Sh23 million, was awarded the tender against the lowest bid of Sh19 million. Raising fraud concerns

The lawmakers linked Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang to Konyipad Construction, which they claimed share the same address to Belion Construction.

“How come two companies -Konyipad and Belion Construction – share the same address and box number?” Mavoko MP Patrick Makau queried in a meeting with Dr Kipsang.

The Eldoret-based company associated with the PS bagged a tender worth Sh23 million.

Committee chairman Opiyo Wandayi directed that the PS provide all documents showing the directors of the company

The six companies that were awarded the tender despite not quoting the lowest price include Nexhom Africa, Imani Holdings, Paula Services, Rossaby Enterprises and Hossib Investments

In his report for the financial year 2016/2017, the Auditor-General said the move by the Ministry of Education to award the tender to the six companies was against the Public Procurement Asset and Disposal Act.

According to the observations made by Kenya Insights recent remarks made by President Kagame is that this case is with the Rwandan Judiciary, and had it not been for the police intervention thousands of youth would have been cheated of their money. Obviously, we see that the President has also been misinformed about the facts surrounding this case.

There was no fraud foiled by the government because the young people paid willingly a small $5 fee without duress or coercion, in order to attend a paid event which is not illegal anywhere in the world. The event was there to educate and equip the youth and give them access to a free coaching session worth $197 for free.

So, if anything the youth were to benefit with added value by getting access to coaching for free. Unless charging a fee for an event has been criminalized there was no scam or fraud that happened anywhere in this event.

​This same judicial is prosecuting a case on the basis ofspeculation and accusations instead of facts with no evidence to reveal any fraud other than assumptions. The prosecution has also backpedaled on their earlier decision and is taking precaution to ensure that the injustice pointed out in our article is covered and their tracks show otherwise reporting that our claims are “unsubstantiated and not in accordance with facts”.

We have learned that the Prosecution has since then granted the defense access to the previously denied evidence of the contract which is proof that shows that Coach Ck rented the Radisson Blue for 4 Million Rwandan Francs (USD$4,400 ) for the reservation of the meeting room and extra USD $1,295 for additional meeting space to cater to the growing numbers projected.

This proves that he intended to have the meeting which according to the prosecution their argument in court has been that it’s all a “con” and there was no meeting planned and the attempt was to defraud the Rwandese Youth who paid the entry fee and not have any kind of meeting. The fact is the only reason the training was not fulfilled is that when Coach Ck wasarrested him and held him ALL day in custody on the day of the event and denied him the opportunity to fulfill his obligation.

​There is also a new development that the prosecution hasalso tried to deny claims of the trenches being filled with dirty sewer water while it is evident, the trenches were cleaned upwhile claiming that the accusations have been “thoroughly investigated”. Cleaning the trenches doesn’t change the fact that they have treated the Kenyans inhumanly and denied them their human basic rights and psychologically and physically tortured them.

Both through the tactical court proceeding maneuvers and the unfair due process all points to the Injustice from this Non-Independent Failing Court System. Therefore, stating that the trenches are clean doesn’t change the matters at hand concerning the existing injustice. The Prison Authority has also since then moved Charles into solitary confinement and are now refusing anyone from visiting him or seeing him another further injustice.

He is guilty without his day in court and is being treated as a criminal without a trial or any verdict. The so-called “competent and independent court of law” should have ensured that the rights of the Kenyans are not violated but instead, they are attempting to justify their injustice. We will continue to monitor this case with new development.

Last week we shared an article concerning “The Agony of 3 Kenyans Jailed illegally in Rwanda,” In the wake of that article, there has been a development of new facts and evidence uncovered. This new information reveals there is more to the arrest of these 3 Kenyans than the Rwandan authorities would allow the people to know.

It is probably why the Rwandan “controlled media” took to our local media to publish disparaging articles and supposedly hired bloggers to discredit Coach CK with unsubstantiated gossip and baseless “con artist”accusation. All which now appears to have been a smokescreen to conceal or distract, from the real story of what is really taking place.

It is imperative that we establish to all our audience reading this article, that what we are addressing here is not only about these three Kenyans namely Charles Kinuthia aka Coach Ck, Vivian Khisa Mukwan, and Rachel Matipei, it is about a systemicissue of a broken justice system that seems to be discriminative to outsiders and that targets fellow Africans. Does Rwanda not welcome its neighbors?

​If Coach CK with the help of local Rwandan businesses and organizers could plan an event of such magnitude, that drew over 6,000 attendees, he must have had help from the locals. So when the entire team was arrested; all the Rwandese were released with impunity, but the three Kenyans remain jailed for fraud and suffer mistreatment at the hands of Rwandan authorities.

Where is the justice in this? If the accused, did in fact mastermind what the Rwandan courts call a “fraudulent scheme,” why stop the long arm of the law at the Kenyans only? Where is everyone else who planned the meeting from the hotel management, security company, local hired staff, and vendors everyone that would be an accomplice? Would they not face these similar charges?

The accused would not simply come into a foreign country and in 48hrs prior to the event orchestrate such a huge undertaking alone? Coach CK & his team seem to have been targeted and entrapped.

​A recent news article from Rwandan media responding to our most recent post claimed that Rwanda is “unique” it’s not like other country and has a legal process and that the accused should wait for their date in court and “respect the court process and avoid misleading publicity”.

The question Kenyans have is, how can you expect due process when the system is broken and not independent and incapable to mete justice? The Kenyan insights have obtained information that from the moment Coach Ck and 2 other Kenyan employees were taken in custody not only were they treated unfairly but not accorded the very due process.

The accused were held in custody for two days without a right to a lawyer or a phone call. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, all persons are equal before the law. Yet, the 3 Kenyans who are accused together with other 11 Rwandans were denied bail while the Rwandans were released on bail. What argument can justify this? What kind of “equality” before the law is this?

These Kenyans were denied bail whose passports are held by prosecutors and, accordingly, would never leave Rwanda if they were granted bail.

​In accordance with the Rwandan Code of Criminal procedure, when a person is accused in what is known as a flagrant offense, the investigator must complete the case file and transmit it to the Prosecutor within 72 hours. The prosecutor then must also finalize his or her investigation and transmit the file to court within five days for a trial on the evidence. The court must, in turn, try the case within a period of 15 days from the time the prosecution lodged its lawsuit.

The information Kenyan Insights has uncovered is that the accused were arrested on June 25, 2019. The investigation took 7 days (instead of 3) to transmit the file to Prosecution. The prosecution submitted to the court for the main trial on August 1, 2019, more than 30 days (Instead of the said 5 days) from the date they received the file from investigators all along while the accused remained in custody without bail while being mistreated.  

All this was a systemic delay orchestrated to prolong the detention of the Kenyans because the Prosecution knew that they had no case and as such wanted to inflict maximum damage or “teach them a lesson”. If the Rwandan court was “independent” then the 3 innocent Kenyans would have been acquitted without any doubt as the Prosecution has no proof of fraud.

​We have also uncovered several irregularities and unnecessary postponement of the hearings and interrogation a tactic that has marked this case since the first day. The first hearing on bail took place at Kicukiro Primary Court, on July 9, 2019.

The judgment was scheduled to be delivered on July 11, 2019, but it was postponed to July 15, 2019, and, without any legal or factual basis, the judge ordered that the accused be detained for 30 days to allow the Prosecutors to complete their said investigation.

When the accused appealed that decision, according to the law, the defense appeal should have been heard within 5 days, which meant no later than July 20, 2015.

It was, however, first scheduled to be heard on July 22, 2019, and even on that day, it was postponed to July 25, 2019, for 10 more days without any reason. Even at the next appeal before the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court a different court, the decision, which was scheduled to be delivered on Jul 30, 2019, was postponed to July 31, 2019.

Each time the accused who believed in the independence of the judiciary came to the different court whether it’s the primary court or the appellate court expecting a fair hearing they were gravely disappointed. These postponements and miscarriage of justice coupled with the subsequent bad ruling from the court further proves the injustice and is yet another ploy to psychologically frustrate and torture the Kenyans while still prolonging their period of detention.

As if the detention without reason of the Coach Ck and his two employees were not enough, credible information report that he was physically abused by the Wardens and other prisoners under the supervision of the Prison’s administration at Mageragere Prison.

​Rwanda has distinguished itself in the region and in Africa and has made the outside world believe that it’s on the forefront of development. Portraying a country that is a democratic state, a country that is open to free trade, commerce, and innovative development and prides itself to have a fair justice system.

Rwanda is part of local treaties that shows its openness to foster relationships and further economic advancement in the region which has lured investors and entrepreneur to consider doing business in Rwanda.

Unfortunately, slowly the hidden reality is being unmasked by isolated incidents such as the one we are highlighting and evidently the dualism Of Rwanda is gradually being exposed not everything that glitters is gold.

​We now appeal to the Kenyan Government to investigate this matter seriously as the government exists to protect the welfare of its citizens like the three Kenyans currently being held without due process. Kenya needs to intervene with her counterparts in Kigali and ensure a plan of action warrant that other Kenyan’s believed to be in similar conditions in Rwanda are heard.

Huawei Technologies Co., the worlds largest telecommunications company, dominates African markets, has publicly been selling legal security tools that governments use for digital surveillance and censorship.

However, some Huawei employees have been providing other services, not disclosed publicly. Technicians from the Chinese powerhouse have, in at least two cases, personally helped African governments spy on their political opponents, including intercepting their encrypted communications and social media, and using cell data to track their whereabouts, according to senior security officials working directly with the Huawei employees in the African countries.

In Uganda, last year, a threat to the 33-year regime of President Yoweri Museveni, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.”

Government officials asked Huawei help to hack into Bobi wines social media. The Huawei engineers, identified by name in internal police documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, used the spyware to penetrate Mr. Wine’s WhatsApp chat group, named Firebase crew after his band. Authorities scuppered his plans to organize street rallies and arrested the politician and dozens of his supporters.

In May 2018, Uganda’s Mr. Museveni signed a $126 million deal with Huawei for the safe-cities project after a classified bidding process involving two Chinese companies, paying $16.3 million up front and financing most of the rest with a $104 million loan from Standard Chartered Bank, according to documents presented to a parliamentary committee.

Ugandan intelligence officers have confirmed they were taught how to use the spyware for reading emails and texts but not encrypted communications.

In Zambia, according to senior security officials there, Huawei technicians helped the government access the phones and facebook pages of a team of opposition bloggers running a pro-opposition news site, which had repeatedly criticized President Edgar Lungu.

The Huawei employees located the bloggers and were in contact with the police units deployed to arrest them.

Huawei technicians helped intercept the communications of opposition bloggers running a news site named Koswe, or “The Rat,” which had repeatedly criticized Mr. Lungu, the two Zambian officials in the Cybercrime Crack Squad said.

Huawei, in a statement, said it had never sold safe city solutions in Zambia and hasn’t conducted business with Zambia’s Cybercrime Crack Squad.

In 2012, a data theft incident began at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where information from the AU’s computer systems was allegedly transmitted to servers in China. This continued, at the same time every night, for five years, until it was discovered in January 2017.

The bulk of the computer systems that were compromised in the African Union Headquarters were supplied by Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.

The big question has been whether Chinese companies are just doing this for the money, or whether they’re pushing a specific kind of surveillance agenda.

In May, US President Trump signed an executive order that allows the U.S. to ban telecommunications gear and services from “foreign adversaries,” a term widely interpreted to refer to Huawei. The Commerce Department added Huawei to the “Entity List,” citing national security concerns, which effectively bars companies from supplying U.S.-made technology to Huawei without a license.

Despite the companies denial, It is very evident how Huawei is a complicit in Chinese and now the African government spying.

When internationally renowned motivational speaker and business strategist Dr. Charles Kinuthia aka Coach Ck touched down in Rwanda with his team for a Wealth Fitness Conference, he thought it was going to be an exceptional event like one of the many other successful events he’s held across the world, in twenty-seven countries. However, things would take an unexpected turn quickly, as it has. He and two of his employees, all Kenyans are still currently being held in inhumane conditions in Mageragere Prison, 30 km outside of Kigali, Rwanda. It has been verified that when Coach Ck first arrived at the prison, he was stripped of his clothes, beaten and forced to crawl in trenches full of sewer water and still continues to be mistreated while in custody.

​Coach Ck who is the author of the book “Unlimited Possibilities” started Wealth Fitness International, Inc. a legitimate Texas-based company with the intent to identify serious prospective clients who were interested to be coached through a proven system. This system with a paid subscription is how individuals would learn how to start, build, and succeed in their own business. This process starts with a one-day free event where for eight hours he coaches people on business which provides tremendous value to attendees. A clear path of the next step is then communicated, in which those interested in moving forward with his coaching are offered a chance to invest in themselves for a two-day paid event which is fulfilled within 30 days. As an African born in poverty without business acumen, he understands firsthand the importance of coaching in helping new business owners develop the right mindset and understand vital business principles necessary for succeeding in the global market. A process not new to him as he used this process to start his own company One Stop Tax, Inc. and has built it into a profitable venture with national recognition as one of the fastest-growing franchise featured in the Entrepreneur Magazine and Franchise Magazine in the USA in July 2015 issue.  

​The one-day free event in Kigali, Rwanda was set on June 25th, 2019. At the initial stages and while planning this event, the team had anticipated attendance of not more than one thousand participants. However, their online social media lead generator system had received a high response of people who had expressed interest in the event. Typically, according to this kind of response, it meant about five thousand people or more would be expected to show up. While initially it was meant to be a totally free event, the swelling numbers prompted a quick intervention. Given the limited hotel space for the event, after consulting with the local organizers’, the management decided to come up with a payment strategy for booking seats which would serve to identify only serious attendants while it would allow for the adherence to standard measures of many other international speakers. Seats were given monetary allocations which is not a new thing, especially if you’ve attended corporate events neither is it fraud or illegal to charge a fee for an event of this nature.

​“We would like to say thank you Rwanda for your interest and signing up for the Wealth Fitness Event on the 25th of June. Due to extremely high demand and the hotel not being able to fit so many people in the room, Wealth Fitness International has been forced to adjust the terms of this event. In order to guarantee your seat at this event please purchase one of the below packages or you can purchase via mobile phone. You can get the Expert package, VIP, or Diamond. All of which come with guaranteed seating and additional bonuses. We apologize for this inconvenience but rest assured this change will give a positive impact for all attendees. Seating is limited, it is First Come First Serve; purchasing a package is NOT required but highly encouraged. Attendees who’ve not purchased a package should arrive early for registration.” Read parts of the email sent to every attendee that Kenya Insights has obtained.

​On the day of the event, 6,000+ people reportedly showed up beating all the expectations and that was the beginning of the problems. As early as 6am there were more than 200 people on site lining up with hopes to gain access to the room at Kigali Conventional Center since they had not paid to secure their seating. The patiently waiting but growing crowd was allowed seating on the first-come-first-served basis. Most of those who previously paid up online who showed up late were still given priority seating. Those waiting in line who had not paid were anxious about the space-filling up and missing out on the opportunity this became the bone of contention. This caused normal concerns and the police were called to attend to the growing crowd outside the venue. It is within these circumstances that someone maliciously told the police that this was a fraud scheme as they had been charged to attend the meeting and could not find a seat and that they were also promised to get $197 for attending the event. Of which both statements were completely false, speculative and baseless in order to exacerbate the conditions.

​Charles Kinuthia aka Coach Ck, Vivian KhisaMukwan, and Rachel Matipei alongside MuhamadNiyonkuru and other 12 Rwandese nationals who had been hired for the event were escorted for questioning to the local police station and remained there for the entire day. As such the highly anticipated event would not happen and Coach Ck would not fulfill the one-day training for those in attendance at the event. Some of the news agency then proceeded to publish and propagate the unfounded claims that the organizers received money and vanished and never fulfilled the training. While the entire team remained in custody the entire day. Things quickly spiraled out of control from here on as some of the officials who came to respond to the situation spoke to the crowds waiting peacefully in the venue that they had arrested the “criminals” and that they would prosecute them. These unfounded claims were immediately made public by officials without any evidence or substantive comprehension of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

​According to Rwandan authorities, the event organizers had allegedly defrauded the attendees, however, after the Kenyan Insights reviewed their arguments, it comes out more like a misunderstanding or a carefully plotted plan for unjust victimization of the Kenyans. The question now that most Kenyans must have is if this is an unreasonable politically motivated case? During the provisional detention hearing, the prosecution told the courts that the accused were a “threat to national security” to justify their baseless prolonged detention without bail or any fair hearing or due process and as such the court sided with prosecution and have since then denied bail citing “national security” issues.

​The entire team remained under investigation for more than 5 days before any formal charges were filed by the prosecution. According to investigations by Kenyan Insights, the story had taken a sharp turn after it emerged that all the Rwandan nationals who were accused alongside the held Kenyans were promptly released without any charges. A Rwandan newspaperarticle read “13 Rwandans Freed, 3 Kenyans Charged.” Eventually, the frivolous claims filed in court which were not based on factual or legal grounds stated that the accused were charged with the following:

​An investigation by the Kenyan Insights reveals that the accused had secured a contract with the Radisson Blue Hotel and paid an amount of $4,000 for the hall and additional amount to secure extra space to accommodate the increasing crowd on the day of the event. They had also paid a purchase order to 6 private security officer to enable the event to run smoothly notwithstanding all the other expenses they incurred to get there and plan and hired help. This is proof that the accused had all intentions to fulfill the training. However, the prosecution attempt to distort the whole story withheld pertinent information and denied the defense access to legally obtain this evidence from the said business entities, so as to validate their claims that those who paid their money to attend the meeting were “defrauded” and the organizers never intended to have any meeting at all while evidence and facts show otherwise.

​Secondly, authorities also alleged that organizers of the event had promised to pay people $197. Investigations conducted by Kenya Insights and documents in our hold show a different story. Wealth Fitness did not offer any get rich quick scheme or promise to give money to those who attend the conference as this goes against the principles they teach in business. The $197 was a VALUE BONUS to be offered to attendees through a free online coaching program, and was clearly stated in the email confirmation sent and the sign-up website. The detailed email obtained that was sent to attendees that is the basis of the accusations further goes to say, “We also wanted to make clear about the $197 value Free Online Course. No Cash will be issued at the Wealth Fitness Event, there is no cash redeemable product given to attendees. A free online course, that is priced at $197 value, will be emailed access to all attendees who stay till the end of the day. We do not want there to be any misunderstandings about that, we value your time and want you to have the best experience at our Wealth Fitness Event!” The benefits would be the attendee who stayed through would get walking away with the exact value of the course but without paying for it.

​According to our findings Coach Ck is not a scam, a con or any of the negative disparaging media remarks as is being portrayed by the prosecution and the biased controlled Rwandan Media with an agenda. This incident seem to be an all-out assault to tarnish a decent honest person reputation and credibility in an attempt to protect the mistakes made by the prosecution and authorities in Rwanda. Coach CK has been focused on doing good by equipping Africans for Entrepreneurship and should not be treated this inhumanly. He has worked with many national leaders and religious leaders to help combat poverty and help raise grass-roots entrepreneur to combat the high unemployment rates in Africa. Coach CK has been in the people empowerment business and has helped many people gain business literacy and some have started a multi-million-dollar business using his business training. As a speaker, he has spoken in platforms like Success Resources Events that hosts the motivation speakers such as Tony Robbins, JT Foxx and over great motivational speakers. Records shows he has been honored for his work as a Goodwill Ambassador and a Golden Rule Award Recipient.

​In the wake of what can be described as a diplomatic impasse, the Rwandan High Commissioner in Kenya needs to intervene and have a talk with her counterpart in Kigali before such a small matter escalates. Kenya and Rwanda enjoy a cordial relationship and shouldn’t be dragged into an unnecessary drama like this. As it stands, the three Kenyans are still being held while the Rwandan nationals cleared and released under unclear circumstances. This amounts to a diplomatic row diagnosis don’t show any drop of fraud.

For Inquiries and any other relevant information , Please Contact this writer on Twitter.com/KinyanBoy or email me directly at [email protected].

Standard Chartered Bank limited are the latest company to be linked with  Arror and Kimwarer Dam scandal. The bank has been linked with holding over sh734.5 million suspected to be related to the scandal. The money has since been frozen by a Nairobi court.

The money which belongs to Stanlib Wealth Amanah Property Limited is under investigations by the DCI for money laundering. The owners of the company have not been arrested or charged in court.

According to court documents the account holders made application to the bank to transfer the sh734.5 Million to Azepco general trading company limited in Dubai a company that is suspected to be linked to the Dam scandalon 24th July.

It’s suspected that Azepco General trading company also received 5.8 Million Euros from an Italian firm CMC DI Ravenna suspected to be deeply involved in the Dam scam.

The bank becomes the latest to be linked with the multibillion-shilling Kimwarer and Arror dams’ scandalwhich the Treasury CS Henry Rotich and his PS Kamau Thugge and other 24 government officials have also been charged with over 24 charges among them abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud.

An increasing number of women and girls are leaving South Asian nations to work in Kenya’s adult entertainment industry – many illegally – according to anti-trafficking activists and police.

The underground trafficking groups lure vulnerable and underage victims to the country deceptively by offering false hopes of making thousands of money a month working in cultural clubs but those are just the fronts to ensnare women and girls, some into sex slavery.

The women start by dancing to Bollywood music all night for money from male patrons which according to some of them they don’t get to keep “We didn’t get the tips as they were for the boss,” claimed one victim

In an interview with Thompson Reuters Foundation a couple of victims denied having being forced to sleep with clients but this could have been out of fear as they may have been told if they admit these claims they could be jailed for prostitution. Paul Adhoch, head of Trace Kenya, a charity that provided shelter to the victims, said the women did not identify as victims but their behavior and treatment suggested otherwise.

In Kenya, many local women and girls are promised good jobs only to be enslaved in domestic servitude or forced into prostitution – often in the sex tourism industry.

Raids by the Kenyan police on Bollywood styled dance clubs at the coast has seen an increased number of women and girls from South Asian countries such as Nepal, India and Pakistan rescued According to an Investigation done by Aljazeera.

“The raids have helped us understand the modus operandi of traffickers in Kenya who have agents overseas to recruit women for them,” an official from Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on condition of anonymity. “They are offered jobs as cultural dancers and given around one month’s salary in advance. But when they arrive, their movements are restricted and they have to do erotic and sexually explicit dancing – and often have to have sex with clients.”

The victims enter Kenya on a three month tourist visa according to the DCI, there is still no official data on the figures but results of police raids suggest scores of women and underage girls are victims of organized human trafficking from South Asia to Kenya.

“This whole thing has been terrible,” a victim stated, “I should never have come – it was a mistake. All I want to do is go home. I never come to Kenya again.”

This comes after CS Echesa was recently on the spot after being linked with eight trafficked pakistan girls at the beginning of the year. The CS was accused of giving special permits to facilitate the ordeal.

Arguably, Sportpesa is one of the biggest sports local sponsors in Kenya. They sponsor clubs across from rugby to football. However, according to KRA, it’s a gimmick to evade tax. Sportpesa is the leading betting firm in Kenya amongst the many that are on the chopping list the government.

SportPesa and 26 other betting firms including Betin, Betway Eastbet and Betpawa have been out of business since July 11, when the government ordered telcos to shut down the playbill numbers and short codes after their licences were not renewed.

By Abdi Dahir

After we exposed the rot in Garissa county government and how the Governor Ali Bunow Korane awarded tenders to his family and close relatives, one of the key beneficiaries of the underhand deals has resigned from the company that was paid 49 million.

On Thursday, Mr Mohamed Bunow and Mr Elias inexplicably resigned as directors of Akad Construction, according to documents that were filed on Friday at the registrar of companies. This is after we have exposed the blatant abuse of office by the Governor and the conflict of interest occasioned by the awarding lucrative tenders to his brothers and relatives.

“I Mohamed Bunow Korane do hereby make Oath and State as follows: That I have transferred all my 250 shares as a director/shareholder to Ali Dubow Abdi,” he said in an affidavit he swore on Friday.TAX RETURNS“I Mohammed Elias do hereby tender my resignation as a director/shareholder of Akad Construction Limited (CPR/2013/102071),” said Mr Elias in his letter to the company’s board of directors on Thursday.

When asked on Saturday if awarding the contract to a company owned by his brother is not tantamount to conflict of interest on his part, Governor Korane replied in an SMS: “Why don’t you check with the registrar of companies.”And when this writer informed him that his brother and Mr Elias had resigned on Friday as one of the directors of the firm, he replied: “Yesterday? That sounds funny. Get your facts and do your job.”

Akad Construction was paid Sh48,897,572 in three tranches between October last year and March this year. It was first paid Sh3,356,595 on October 12, 2018 from Garissa County’s recurrent account, followed by Sh30,482,833 on October 26, 2018, and finally Sh15,058,144 on March 3, 2019, both from the county’s development account.

Curiously, the company filed nil tax returns for between January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, suggesting that it had not done any business in that period even though it had been paid more than Sh33 million by Garissa County in October alone.SH101 MILLION.

Akad Construction is among 14 firms that have done business with the Garissa County government over the years which the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) are investigating for various tax offences.

Cumulatively, the 14 companies are believed to have received more than Sh744 million from the Garissa County government since 2017, but their tax records have attracted the attention of investigators. At the same time, KRA is demanding more than Sh1.2 billion from the Garissa County government in unpaid taxes.

While in Kenya the leading betting company has had its operations suspended by the government over noncompliance to tax, it’s now emerging that Sportpesa that is sponsoring Everton football club is not paying tax either in the UK

According to an explosive expose by UK’s most authentic newspaper Guardian, despite Sportpesa as Everton’s sponsors being hailed by the club for supporting community schemes, there are concerns about how the Kenyan-Bulgarian firm profits from an online gambling craze.

Founded in 2014, Sportpesa was an idea of the club of deep-pocketed millionaires, with string political connections whose ability to mint money has more than quadrupled with SportPesa’s runaway success, are an ex-Kenya Airways pilot, a shrewd Nairobi businessman, a female veteran of the gambling industry, three Bulgarians and an American businessman.

Former chairman of the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KAPA) Ronald Karauri, businessman Paul Wanderi Ndung’u and Asenath Wachera Maina(Wife to the late Nairobi Mayor Dickson Wathika), the brains behind the controversial ‘Shinda Smart’ lottery, are the principal owners of SportPesa, Business Daily revealed.

Three investors from Bulgaria — Guerassim Nikolov of the ill-fated Toto 6/49 lottery, Valentina Nikolaeva Mineva and Ivan Kalpakchiev — as well as American businessman Gene Grand are also in the list of top shareholders of Pevans East Africa, the entity behind SportPesa.

According to Bulgaria’s National Security Agency (DANS) Gerasim Nikolov is involved with several Bulgarian gangs involved with credit card fraud. Nikolov has been investigated over claims of racketeering and credit card fraud, and he turned from co-accused to witness in a case involving another criminal nicknamed “The Baron” for the hijacking of 14 Serbian trucks and their drivers for ransom.

In March 2014, Slavi Binev, a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), visited Kenya in his capacity as Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union for relationships with Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP).

It is on this visit that Binev met with Nikolov and lauded the launch Sportpesa, which was quickly becoming one of the largest companies in the sector.

Binev himself had been one of the main shareholders in R – System Holding AD, which has ties in the service, entertainment, construction, investments and security industries, and was named as the 34th most profitable company in Bulgaria.

Slavi Binev is close friends with Nikolov, whom he introduces as a longtime friend in a YouTube video.

“It is very unusual for a politician to maintain old friendships. But I value my friendship with Gero, Genata and the whole team. I am very proud that Gero, who is one of my best friends, is the engine of this team,” Binev is quoted as saying during the official visit to Kenya.

Two other Kenyans, Francis Waweru Kiarie and Robert Kenneth Wanyoike Macharia, also have minority stakes in the betting firm, according to regulatory filings at the registrar of companies. Mr Karauri currently serves as the CEO of SportPesa.

Mr Nikolov’s Toto 6/49 lottery closed shop in 2011 under the weight of debts having operated in the market for about two years.

Mr Karauri owns a six per cent stake in Pevans East Africa, the holding company, while Mr Nikolov has a 21 per cent shareholding.

The son of former Tigania MP Mathew Adams Karauri worked at Kenya Airways for more than a decade where he rose to the rank of captain. He left the troubled airline to try his hand in the world of betting.

Mr Ndung’u, who has a 17 per cent stake in SportPesa, is a major player at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, where he holds significant stakes in multiple firms.

The list of companies where he has shareholding includes KenGen (0.28 per cent), Kenya Re (2.3 million shares worth Sh45 million) and distressed retailer Uchumi where he holds 18.8 million shares currently valued at Sh57 million.

Besides the Nairobi bourse, the businessman expanded his interests in private equity, with the buyout of agriculture and hospitality equipment company G-North & Son from the Philip Ndegwa family.

According to Guardian publication, SportPesa grew rapidly in Kenya to dominate online gambling by zealously exploiting the mass arrival of mobile phone technology from 2014, and sponsors the country’s Premier League. With little regulation and no welfare or research similar to even the UK’s limited industry-funded framework, serious problem gambling appears to have become entrenchedamong Kenyan young people, who are gambling and losing far more than elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the UK, while SportPesa has promoted its brand through the Everton sponsorship and partnerships with Arsenal, Southampton and Hull City, it makes use of the “white label” system, allied to a company, TGP Europe, registered offshore in the Isle of Man, a tax haven.

This structure, permitted by the UK government, means SportPesa does not require a licence from the Gambling Commission, UK bets are paid to the Isle of Man, and no SportPesa company appears to pay UK corporation tax on those revenues, nor contribute to UK gambling welfare programmes.

The report says that SportPesa does have a UK-registered company, SportPesa Global Holdings, formed in March 2017, which does declare its shareholders and accounts, but the brand’s structure means that its UK gambling revenues do not appear to be received by that company.

In Kenya, politically connected local shareholders like Mr. Ndung’u financed the campaigns of Jubilee in the last campaign. While the firm enjoyed a furfural relationship with the government which they relied on for their massive expansion, according to intelligence reports, the firm fell out and lost trust with the government in 2018. This was largely on the non compliance on tax.

Currently, the Betting company SportPesa is locked in a bitter legal dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which is demanding up-to Sh15 billion in taxes dating back three years ago.