A human rights defender has filed a constitutional petition at the High Court over tenders given by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) for the construction of health facilities in the informal settlements.
Francis Awino has sued Megascope Healthcare Limited, which is associated with businessman Richard Ngatia over contracts it got from NMS worth Sh869 million.
In his affidavit, Awino says that there were irregularities and circumvention of the law by Megascope for it to secure the contracts.
“There was illegal unlawful and irregular misuse of taxpayers’ money a fact that was actually confirmed by the Auditor General in her reports for the years 2021/2022 financial year,” reads his affidavit.
He says that The Ministry of Health got into a contract with Amref Health Africa for the construction and equipping of 19 level two and level three facilities within Nairobi County.
The project was to be implemented within 90 days and would cost Sh869 million.
Amref obtained a license as a procurement agent for the Ministry of Health and it appointed Megascope to do the construction work.
“Nairobi Metropolitan Services entered into a Deed of Assignment with the Ministry of Health for the construction and equipping the 19 level two and level three facilities in Nairobi,” reads the affidavit.
Awino says that despite the company getting paid the full cost, the construction work stood at different levels in the 19 facilities by the time the audit was being done.
He says that there was no reason given by the company for the slow progress of the work despite being paid in full.
“It was concluded that the respondent did not have the capacity to complete the project given the delay despite full payment of the contract sum in advance.”
The case will be mentioned on January 22, 2024.
The Concerned Citizens Kenya lobby group where Awino is a member in a press statement called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe the matter and the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute Megascope.
They also want the Assets Recovery Agency to seize properties associated with the businessman.
They called on President William Ruto to intervene in the matter since NMS was under the office of the President.
Westland MP Hon. Tim Wanyonyi Wetang’ula unveiled his ambitions to become the next governor of Nairobi on November 14 2021 with his bid receiving a boost after he was endorsed by ODM supremo Raila Odinga in January 2022.
Wanyonyi launched his bid for the Nairobi top seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket and has maintained spirited campaigns to inherit the seat from Anne Kananu in August.
“Fellow residents of Nairobi, I speak not from mere theory but from a firm knowledge and understanding of the affairs of Nairobi. Having served in Nairobi County for a total of fifteen years, I am well aware of what residents of Nairobi require and I will fix it!” Wanyonyi said.
He’s banking on his untainted image and proper use of CDF funds as legacies to propel him to the helm at City Hall. Wanyonyi is promising to transform Nairobi to realize its full potential as the region’s business hub with increased use of ICT in service delivery.
Wanyonyi who has been active in Nairobi for over 15 years serving as a Councillor and MP, has vowed to transform the Kenya’s capital into a smart city if he wins the August 9 polls.
He will face Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja who will fly UDA’s flag, Tycoon Richard Ngatia who is expected to run on a Jubilee Party ticket, Agnes Kagure and other questionable characters who have announced their quest for the seat.
Hon. Wanyonyi has called for peaceful and issue-based politics ahead of the August 9 polls as he castigated politicians engaging in confrontational politics and urged them to seek solutions to challenges facing Nairobi residents.
“Instead of engaging in dirty politics and attacking our competitors, we should be telling our constituents what we can do for them,” said Wanyonyi.
He has recieved the backing of more than 30 Nairobi MCAs including Imara Daima’s Kennedy Obuya who called on ODM party leadership to throw its weight behind the Westland’s lawmaker. Karen MCA David Mberia also added that they will rally their support behind Wanyonyi’s candidature not because of coercion but because of his track record which speaks volumes.
Controversial businessman Richard Ngatia [p/courtesy]So far the debate there is heated as to whether Azimio La Umoja coalition should settle on one candidate between Wanyonyi and Ngatia.l with latest entrant Polycarp Igathe complicating the matrix.
Wanyonyi believes he is the man because Ngatia is a controversial figure whose name has been in the mad for years. He is the man behind a controversial firm that got over Sh1 billion contracts for Covid-19 medical supplies at the centre of the Sh63 billion medical kits scandal.
Kenyan senate said the said the deal was conceived like a criminal enterprise with a damming report by the Senate showing that Ngatia’s Megascope Healthcare Ltd was part of the rip-off and should be investigated by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC).
Ngatia who doubles as the president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has the authenticity of his degree certificate under scrutiny.
Serious questions began surrounding the education credential’s of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s affluent after UK officials disowned his purported university degree which is obligatory for all candidates seeking the governor position.
Agnes Kagure, Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant [p/courtesy]The British Commissioner of Education the Director-General answerable for Higher and Further Education Paul Kett stated that there is no single university in the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Richard Ngatia.
“To the best of our knowledge, we would wish to state as follows; there is no University within the territory of the United Kingdom that has ever admitted Mr. Richard Ngatia, or any other student from Kenya by that name, as student in the UK.” Kett stated.
Wanyonyi who is a lawyer by profession will also face off with Agnes Kagure, a dreaded fraudster who has many land cases including Sh500 million land grab scandal in Karen.
But with rumors doing rounds that there are ongoing consultations to coerce Wanyonyi to back another candidate, the Westlands MP has affirmed his resolve to the ballot.
He has refuted claims that he will drop his bid of becoming the city’s administrator to become the running mate to Ngatia of the Jubilee party under the Azimio la Umoja ticket.
Wanyonyi who also enjoys the backing of Ida Odinga the spouse to Raila, remains ODM’s front candidate and enthusiasts are vowing to stand up with him. On matters integrity, he stands out from the rest of his competitors many of whom are battling corruption cases in different fields.
When Nairobians voted in Evans Kidero as the first governor, many weren’t aware of his dark past as a corporate fraud who sunk Mumias Sugar, later, the reality became, Kidero ended up being one of the most corrupt governors in the first dispensation of devolution. Since leaving office, the former governor who’s conspicuously scheming to occupy Homa Bay gubernatorial seat, has been spending most of his days in abs out of court battling corruption cases that he engineered in his tenure.
Nairobi is at a point of making a choice and going through the options of better leadership, there’s an obvious safe hand.
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KNCCI) boss Richard Ngatia who’s eyeing the Nairobi’s Gubernatorial seat is not seating easy as more focus has been on him lately more so on his academic credentials.
In what could open up his untold past, a city resident George Mwanzia, who also says he’s a Jubilee Party member in which Ngatia is contesting on, has filled a petition with the party claiming that Ngatia doesn’t have a degree and the one he purports to be holding is not from a university recognized in Kenya, a key requirement for all gubernatorial contestants.
He wants him to be stopped from the race over for allegedly holding dubious academic credentials.
In the last week, a supposed degree certificate for Ngatia has been doing heavy rounds on social media. According to the document seen by Kenya Insights, Ngatia was issued a degree in BA.Corporate Leadership and Governance from San Juan De La Cruz University in Costa Rica. We did a research on the authenticity of the school and while it’s a credited institution, it appears to also be a target of scammers who’ve opened many fake websites targeting those looking for quick degrees.
We also can’t confirm if the document doing rounds is also indeed Ngatia or not but we’ve written to the university’s board seeking clairity on this and will update. In hit campaigns by opponents, Ngatia’s KCSE certificate was also leaked online with claims that he scored a D(plain) a grade that in Kenya doesn’t qualify you to register with any local University as it’s the second last in grading system.
Mwanzia maintains that where there’s smoke there’s fire and that the aspirant doesn’t hold a genuine academic certificate which should automatically block him from the race.
“Richard Ngatia does not hold a degree from a university recognised in Kenya. Therefore, he should not be allowed to participate in the Jubilee party nominations exercise for Nairobi City County gubernatorial position,” reads Mwanzia’s petition sent to the party’s Executive Director.
Ngatia’s integrity has perhaps been the biggest hit he has had to face in present past as his name has featured prominently in key healthcare scandals. Ngatia who owns Megascope Healthcare Limited, was mentioned as one of the biggest beneficiaries in the now famous billionaires.
In the midst of all the circus, Jubilee Party is not putting all its eggs in one bucket, an insider has told us that they’re considering Polycarp Igathe as a possible replacement for Ngatia should his qualifications lock him out. The Azimio maths has always been to have a Kikuyu in the equation.
Already, there are rife talks on the higher tables that Igathe would’ve to deputize Tim Wanyonyi who appears to be the leading contender from various opinion polls.
Sakaja
Johnson Sakaja the immediate city Senator and now eying the governor seat is also having a rough time as his past come to haunt.
There are claims that he doesn’t hold a degree and had dropped out of the university after failing to attain the requirements from the actuarial science course he was pursuing at the University of Nairobi.
In 2017 elections, he became a punching bag for his opponents with one Evans Kidero calling him academic dwarf who didn’t have a degree. He silently dropped out of the governor race and went for senate, many believed it was because of lack of papers that made him bolt out.
Critics have also edged him out claiming he’s not a fully Luhya but has Kalenjin heritage. There are claims that his father was a Sabaot and infact an ID has been circulated showing his Kalenjin name as Koskei.
Here’s why this matters, Luhyas make a huge number of voters in Nairobi and with the voting dynamics in Kenya mostly ethnic, one is likely to scoop huge votes from their community. UDA went for Sakaja with hopes that he gets the Luhya votes which Tim Wanyonyi a Luhya to is banking on.
Like Ngatia, Sakaja has had integrity issues as a company linked to him was mentioned in the Kemsa scandal.
The colourful Jubilee party NDC that signalled its rebirth has dominated news headlines, but a lot remains unknown on the silent intrigues that ran concurrently with the event.
After the unveiling of the Jubilee Party’s new leadership at its NDC, reasons have emerged as to why immediate former Secretary-General Raphael Tuju was forced to resign from his position, and quickly replaced with MP Jeremiah Kioni and why Vice Chair David Murathe received a cold-acknowledgement from President Uhuru, even as he retained his position.
In damming revelations known to party insiders, the decision to replace Raphael Tuju was arrived at following numerous complaints of extortion and bribery among aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket in the coming election – prominently, Nairobi county.
Among Tuju’s prominent misdeeds are open personal bias and favoritism towards tainted KEMSA suspect and gubernatorial hopeful Richard Ngatia whose candidature for Nairobi has met opposition and ridicule from both residents, and party as well as national leaders.
In a dramatic move alien to Jubilee party rules, Mr Tuju, as it emerged, had already assured Ngatia that he would sell him the party ticket and had allegedly been promised millions of shillings. However, the party’s top leadership caught wind of Tuju’s nefarious plans and forced him to resign as a way to save face.
Tuju’s partner in crime, David Murathe, was severely warned against abuse of his position to enrich himself and impose tainted aspirants on a rebranded Jubilee Party.
In an apparent desperate move to honor the end of his corrupt deal after being stripped off his Secretary General’s position, Tuju still went ahead and in collision with crooked journalists, issued a statement that he, as former Secretary General, had settled on the scandalous Ngatia to be the Jubilee candidate for Nairobi, an announcement that has left the ruling party the subject of sneers and jeers. How dramatic?
Insiders have also revealed that so desperate was Tuju in his attempts to impose Ngatia has Jubilee’s candidate that he even booked a front-seat for him and attempted to have the MCs introduce him as Jubilee’s candidate – a plan that fell flat on its face.
Party supporters have been urged to ignore any statements from him and his associates. who are slowly being pushed out of the party in a clean–up exercise coinciding with the rebrand.
The developments of Richard Ngatia, Chamber President – Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) vying for Nairobi governorship has elicited mixed reactions from the public. For a better part of Monday, the KNCCI boss became the most talked about person on Twitter with many throwing shades over his past murky history of scandalous deals with the government.
Ngatia is being fronted by the Mt Kenya Foundation made of wealthy Kikuyu men to be the candidate for Azimio La Umoja as an exchange and favor for their endorsement of Raila. Having rose to the high ranks of controlling close to 2M business persons in Kenya, Ngatia believes he’s best suited to takeover the running of City Hall that has left all its past office occupants battling court cases from graft accusations. Controlling the biggest budget in the counties, Nairobi is lucrative.
While voting dynamics in Nairobi would highly favor Ngatia, critics are saying he’s not best suited to run the city given his track record that is marred with scandals. Under #CovidBillionare, netizens called him out as a fraud over his involvement in the KEMSA scam where his firm Megascope yanked the biggest share. The Kemsa scandal triggered national outrage that has seen EACC summon top dogs close to power as it seeks to uncover the rot.
Megascope was, for instance, awarded a Sh765 million contract by Kemsa for the supply of personal protective equipment.
It also got a tender for the supply of SV300 ventilators at Sh165 million and a Sh35 million deal to supply KN95 mask at Sh700 each. Made over a billion.
Ngatia was also mentioned in the failed Sh63B medical supply scam that has left taxpayers with more burden. Beside that, Ngatia’s firm Megascope was also named in the Covid-19 donation saga from Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma where he was accused of stealing the donations and sold them to Tanzania claims that he refuted and threatened to sue NTV who ran the expose.
Merciless netizens tore the gubernatorial aspirant on Twitter based on the above accusations. Some of the samples tweets below:
The truth is Richard Ngatia is a #CovidBillionaire and now he wants to head Nairobi, and he is lecturing us on good leadership. We don't have a country here… You steal from COVID-19 victims and want to rule over them too… Interesting.
We take a spotlight to one of the Azimio la Umoja financier Richard Ngatia and who is the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry President eyeing the Nairobi County Gubernatorial seat. 1/8 pic.twitter.com/6ZwYFIFkxM
Today, Nairobians, I would like us to have a candid discussion. What kind of Governor do you need? Are you going to close your eyes and elect another known cartel? Kwelikweli? 🤔. The man calling himself the reincarnation of Martin Luther King is a thief… Is a #CovidBillionaire
Richard Ngatia lacks moral authority to lecture KENYANS on anything to do with good leadership in the country.A compound Thief in #CovidBillionaire list of shame!!
Report indicates that Raila Odinga's Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Richard Ngatia through a company Megascope Healthcare Ltd was part of the multi-billion rip-off KEMSA scandal. All #CovidBillionaire are now supporting Raila. Any news from State House apart from curfew ?
After using Kidero to destroy Mumias Sugar, he rewarded him with Nairobi gubernatorial post. Now again, he want to reward the #CovidBillionaire Richard Ngatia after using him in Kemsa . Surely, Raila Odinga, God is seeing you
In a quick rejoinder, Ngatia dispatched his online troops to counter the attacks under #RichardNgatia4Nairobi who heaped praises e their boss:
Under his leadership in the Chamber Richard Ngatia has increased its visibility through trade support, lobbying, and advocacy for the business community. More than 20,000 MSMEs have joined the Chamber during his tenure. #RichardNgatia4Nairobipic.twitter.com/8NajxFCkQY
On September 30, Richard Ngatia accompanied Uhuru, ODM leader Raila Odinga and NMS director general Mohammed Badi to launch new hospitals in Kibra.#RichardNgatia4Nairobipic.twitter.com/hNDAnUD4MQ
Richard Ngatia is the managing director of Megascope Healthcare Limited, a major corporate player in the healthcare industry in Kenya a key provider of healthcare equipment leasing for county governments.#RichardNgatia4Nairobipic.twitter.com/FnS07jwAbJ
Richard Ngatia is no stranger to Nairobi affairs as he has been spotted with the big shots in the city and is a close ally of President Kenyatta.#RichardNgatia4Nairobipic.twitter.com/9jJzGhCGq6
In a negotiated democracy, which ODM has been insisting on as the first option to solve a stalemate, Richard Ngatia stands a better chance of outfoxing Wanyonyi.#RichardNgatia4Nairobipic.twitter.com/AfCTdP8Ul9
Ngatia joins other politicians eyeing the seat including Westlands legislator Tim Wanyonyi, former Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja. Things are expected to get rough for the christened statehouse project governor and in politics, one needs a tough screen to survive.
“Nairobi mpo…Nairobi mpo… Leo si siku yangu lakini tutakuwa na mazungumzo hapo baadaye ( Nairobi residents, today is not my day but we shall be having conversations later ),” The president for Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Richard Ngatia told the mammoth of crowd during the Azimio la Umoja event at Kasarani on 10th December.
While the event was for Raila announcing his presidential bid, calculative Ngatia also seized the moment to hint at the possibility of him going for the Nairobi’s top sit.
This didn’t come as a shock to many who’ve been following the politics of the day, those who’ve been reading the body language of the Mt Kenya leaders. Behind the scenes, there has been intense lobbying for whom to takeover Nairobi after imminent exit of Kananu.
Nairobi controls the junk of Kenya’s resources hence the battle for its control is often intense and closely watched as the presidential.
Those close to the power matrix say that the mountain is more than interested in taking control of the city now now so that they’ve agreed to support Raila Odinga for the presidency. Mount Kenya Foundation which comprises of billionaire businessmen, endorsed Raila’s bid.
In return, they want Nairobi.
While front runners in the race have folded their arms waiting for the smoke signal, Ngatia has given the first and clear hint ahead of Dennis Waweru, Peter Kenneth and Kabogo that he’s interested in the seat giving him the limelight.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna yesterday announced his bid for the city’s senatorial seat. This complicates the chances of Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi. Both not only come from ODM but same community too, Luhya. If Sifuna and Wanyonyi are to go all the way with his bids then we’d have two Luhyas running the city. Going by the voting dynamics, this will be impossible meaning one will have to give way.
ODM leader Raila Odinga believes his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta got a major boost after he was endorsed by a team of Mount Kenya billionaires to protect their businesses.
The promise to back Odinga comes a midst a grand search for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor or kingpin of the vote rich region that has never lacked a proper presidential candidate in the previous polls.
The GEMA group made it clear that it had been tasked by the President to present a name of a possible candidate who would take care of their business interests when he retires in August next year.
To make the rare move of backing Odinga, the oligarchs pushed the ODM leader to accept their tough demands which include having their kinsmen occupy the office of the deputy president, top cabinet positions and Nairobi governorship.
Odinga who has failed to clinch presidency in his four attempts has already surrendered Nairobi top seat to the Kikuyu nation as part of ODM power games with Jubilee.
Kikuyu candidates failed in 2013 and 2017 pushing the president to form the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to run the country’s capital which was first run by ODM’s Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko who comes from the Kamba community.
Raila, sources say, is convinced that a Kikuyu-Luo joint ticket for the city seat will secure victory, given that there are about 900,000 Kikuyu registered voters and about 400,000 Luo voters in the capital. Hence, a joint ticket will have a headstart of about 1.3 million votes.
Weak aspirants from Mt. Kenya region eyeing the Nairobi governor’s seat in next year’s general elections have opted to take a low profile as they push Odinga to hand them the slot through tribal arithmetic and political realignments at the national level.
Odinga now reason that most of the city business are in the hands of Kikuyus and so they should control City Hall, the den of corruption and massive looting.
Why Ngatia
It is being said that Raila strategists are aware of Ngatia’s campaign strategy that saw him land KNCCI presidency and his city network is enormous and tight.
Ngatia is also feared due to his deep pockets and untainted past.
Ngatia was elected KNCCI president unopposed after all his competitors withdrew from the race and backed his bid. He assumed office on June 8, this year.
Ngatia is a close ally of Uhuru and since his election as KNCCI boss; he has been drumming up support for the March 9 2018 handshake between the president and the former prime minister. He is also close to Ruto, which somehow complicates matters for him.
In the KNCCI polls, Ngatia mounted a spirited campaign including eventful launch of his manifesto in which he promised to set up a Special Chamber Fund to help small and medium enterprises remain afloat and many Nairobians will welcome his bid to run for the seat given his astute managerial acumen.
Richard Ngatia, a valued political and business ally of the Kenyattas has also been actively campaigning on behalf of Uhuru Kenyatta, but he is also much more discreetly partnering his sister Nyokabi Kenyatta on a number of government contracts.
Scandals
While cards on the table look right for the KNCCI Chairman, he can’t run away from his past which has been murky.
Known in his cycles as a powerful businessman, Ngatia has been written as one of the close friends to President Uhuru , a position that he has effectively used to win major tenders in healthcare. It is said no big tender in the healthcare sector would go without his cut.
While he’s not refuting claims that his company disappeared with COVID-19 supplies donated to Kenya by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, he’s defending his firm Megascope which was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Covid Millionaires fiasco that arose from the Kemsa scandal.
Ngatia was also mentioned in the KEMSA scam where his firm Megascope yanked the biggest share. The Kemsa scandal triggered national outrage that has seen EACC summon top dogs close to power as it seeks to uncover the rot.
Megascope was, for instance, awarded a Sh765 million contract by Kemsa for the supply of personal protective equipment.
It also got a tender for the supply of SV300 ventilators at Sh165 million and a Sh35 million deal to supply KN95 mask at Sh700 each. Made over a billion.
Ngatia was also mentioned in the failed Sh63B medical supply scam that has left taxpayers with more burden.
A damming report by the Senate says Megascope Healthcare Ltd — a firm associated with Richard Ngatia — was part of the rip-off and recommended it be investigated by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission.
According to the report, the contract for the supply of theatre equipment under Lot 1 of the project was awarded to Shenzen Mindray Biomedical Electronic Co., a company registered in China at Sh5.4 billion.
However, Shenzen Mindray subcontracted Megascope in controversial circumstances that the Senate committee note was a tactic “used to circumvent the procurement process”.
“The committee finds that the contract and the subcontractor’s deed of warranty were used to circumvent the procurement process by awarding the subject matter of the contract to Megascope, a party that would otherwise not have qualified to be awarded the contract as per the term of the tender that required bidders to be original equipment manufacturers,” the report notes.
It says the deal officially made Megascope the legal owner of the equipment, putting the government at risk as the new contract made it clear that a claim could only be made against the subcontractor.
“Due to the foregoing the subcontractor, Megascope, through the transfer of ownership of the equipment, ended up becoming the principal in a contract that it would otherwise not have been qualified to win,” the report states.
It goes on, “the Ministry of Health was negligent when it signed an amendment and restatement deed that limited its rights under the contract.”
Senate ad hoc committee said the project was conceived like a criminal enterprise shrouded in opaque procurement processes and aimed at selfish commercial interests.
The committee established that the change of ownership of equipment from the contractor, Shenzhen Mindray, to the subcontractor, Megascope, indicates that the actual person who supplied the equipment was not the original equipment manufacturer.
Critics have described him as an ‘economic hitman.‘ “Ngatia an economic saboteur is not a great manager, though he has succeeded in covering up the two deficiencies of being short and poor management through the use of cash.“
Nowhere has Ngatia been so successful in the deliberate destruction of public amenity than in the medical field. His antics and those of his ilk have stifled development in Kenya’s medical sector.
Through his firm, Megascope Limited, Ngatia has been involved in almost all scandals during the reign of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
For example, the Managed Equipment Services deal sees county Govts collectively lose over Sh9 billion per year to cartels sitting in Nairobi.
Through his links and big pockets, Ngatia has made sure that tenders awarded to his firm are overpriced.
Presdient Uhuru Kenyatta and President for Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI), Richard Ngatia during the opening of Level Three Kibra hospital.
In the deal to construct hospitals by Nairobi Metropolitan Services, worth billions, Megascope positioned itself well and won the construction tender to build both Level 2 and 3 hospitals.
Some of the hospitals have been completed, this includes that in Uthiru, Kiamaiko, Ushirika and Soweto-Kayole.
Ngatia’s style of management has been criticized as well with those close to him describing him as a sexist and dictatorial.
Ngatia has been in and out of court following suits against him by aggrieved KNCCI officials who’ve accused of abuse of office, his micromanaging leadership, corruption, impunity, nepotism as he beams a picture of perfect leadership to the business world unaware of the internal wrangles that have been hitting the KNCCI chambers across the country.
Ngatia is described as one who adores being surrounded by ‘yes’ men and wouldn’t hesitate to cut off those not aligning to his eyes.
Law doesn’t really matter when he doesn’t like you as witnessed in the reorganization of the Nairobi chamber of KNCCI where he kicked out ‘moles’.
One person who got kicked out was Businessman Jimnah Mbaru who was the chairman of the Nairobi chamber and he wasn’t in the good books with Ngatia reason being he was too tough and refused to play ball to his ploys, Jimnah is well monied was not interested in engaging in corrupt deals. Ngatia then orchestrated frustrations that would make Jimnah bolt out of the position as he didn’t want to be dragged into unnecessary wars that would inturn taint his image. As a key investor in different markets, he had his image too to protect.
With Mbaru now out of the way, plans were now in line and Ngatia quickly and without considerations of the law, imposed his stooge and the Vice Chairman Mr Geoffrey Kimani as the Acting Chairman of the Nairobi Chapter. This was done with the aim that, he would be puppeted by The Godfather in the larger embezzlement of funds scheme. Mr. Kimani who by the time of being appointed by the Chamber President to Chair, KNCCI Nairobi County, was not a fully paid up KNCCI Member for 2 Good years, 2019 and 2020, this disqualified from holding the position but it was overlooked as The Godfather wasn’t going to give law s chance to stand in his way.
That office has a story to tell and they’ve been running it in that manner.
Conclusion
It’s undisputed that Ngatia enjoys close ties with the president and his family, during the Azimio event when he was given the coveted prize of speaking, it meant an endorsement from Raila as well.
They say in Nairobi the governor need to be sober and equipped with excellent managerial skills. The first encounter was with Evans Kidero who was a business executive from Mumias Sugar, he came and ran down the city. Corruption became part of the system, he’s now spending most of his times in the courts. A thuggish Sonko came in and there wasn’t anything different, he’s now battling corruption cases as well.
Could Ngatia be the man to write history different? If we’re to judge him with his history is their hopes?
What are the chances of Agnes Kagure? We review her next.
ODM leader Raila Odinga believes his bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta got a major boost after he was endorsed by a team of Mount Kenya billionaires to protect their businesses.
The promise to back Odinga comes a midst a grand search for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s successor or kingpin of the vote rich region that has never lacked a proper presidential candidate in the previous polls.
The GEMA group made it clear that it had been tasked by the President to present a name of a possible candidate who would take care of their business interests when he retires in August next year.
To make the rare move of backing Odinga, the oligarchs pushed the ODM leader to accept their tough demands which include having their kinsmen occupy the office of the deputy president, top cabinet positions and Nairobi governorship.
Odinga who has failed to clinch presidency in his four attempts has already surrendered Nairobi top seat to the Kikuyu nation as part of ODM power games with Jubilee.
Kenya Chamber of Commerce president Richard Ngatia [p/courtesy]Kikuyu candidates failed in 2013 and 2017 pushing the president to form the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to run the country’s capital which was first run by ODM’s Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko who comes from the Kamba community.
Weak aspirants from Mt. Kenya region eyeing the Nairobi governor’s seat in next year’s general elections have opted to take a low profile as they push Odinga to hand them the slot through tribal arithmetic and political realignments at the national level.
Odinga now reason that most of the city business are in the hands of Kikuyus and so they should control City Hall, the den of corruption and massive looting.
President Kenyatta’s administration has however been accused of impoverishing Kikuyus in Nairobi where he planted Maj.Gen Mohamed Badi to run the show.
ODM reason that the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto’s Kalenjin vote bloc is minimal in city politics therefore a combination of Kikuyus, Luos and a section of Luhyas, Kisiis and Somalis will control Nairobi politics.
Though there are fears that a section of Kikuyus will back UDA for Nairobi governorship, Odinga still believes that a split among them will cost them since all Luos will vote in favour of a Kikuyu governor.
The GEMAs allied to Kenyatta and Odinga do not have a strong candidate but Odinga plans to lock out Ruto in city politics by sharing of parliamentary seats with ‘Handshake’ friendly parties.
Raila wants the rumored drug lord Harun Mwau or tycoon Peter Muthoka who comes from the Kamba extract as his target for Nairobi senatorial seat.
ODM leaders who has shift from his combative tact for presidency now prefers Kenya Chamber of Commerce president Richard Ngatia, Dennis Waweru or Polycarp Igathe.
Almost every aspirants has adopted a wait-and-see pose hoping to benefit from possible coalitions to boost their chances of clinching Nairobi top seat.
ANC plans to field Senator Johnson Sakaja for the seat that has also attracted tycoon Jimna Mbaru and Peter Chege
