Corrupt LAPFUND CEO David Koross

A whistleblower has called for a probe into how Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) CEO David Koross reportedly bribed the board with millions of shillings to secure a third term in office.

Following Kenya Kwanza’s emphatic win during the August 2022 polls, Koross was eyeing a Cabinet Secretary (CS) or Principal Secretary (PS) appointment but he missed out on both.

This prompted him to arm-twisting the board into handing him another five-year term.

LAPFUND manages pension funds for employees of County Governments and other bodies like Water Companies.

In an appeal to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) the whistleblower discloses that in the past three years, Koross has mismanaged the fund through corruption and pocketed an estimated S800 million in kickbacks and plain theft.

Staff morale is at an all-time low and some have been quoted pleading with the president not to allow Koross to have another term.

“In a business deal in Makasembo in Kisumu Koross solely looked for a contractor and awarded them a contract worth 7 billion,” a source said.

They also accuse Koross of employing relatives of officers in state agencies that are supposed to investigate him.

This serves as a bribe to make them look the other way.

“He has stayed more than 10 years, which is illegal and against the RBA act. He now wants another five years and that’s not legal,” another source lamented.

Adding: “Koross brags that his brother Musa Sirma is an MP so nobody can touch him. Employees want a forensic audit because he always finds a way to corrupt the government audit. We demand that government reconstitute the board afresh, send home all the managers and appoint a caretaker committee.”

LAPFUND staff further claim that Koross is working in cahoots with the Head of Finance Mr Mbogo, the Head of Procurement Mr Kibet and the Tender Committee Chaired by Akolo, the blue-eyed sweetheart of the CEO.

They fault the unholy trinity for the massive plunder of the corporation’s resources.

Below is a list of areas that employees have urged investigators to explore.

(I) Mavoko Gardens

The development of Mavoko Gardens Estate in Syokimau. The construction was estimated to cost 700 million but to date so far over Sh1.2 billion shillings has sunk in the project.

The CEO has reportedly pocketed not less than Sh60 million in kickbacks.

(II) Golf View Apartments

The development and renovation of Golf View Apartments has cost the fund over 1.5 billion. The building is currently closed for a makeover at an estimated cost of Sh133 million shillings.

The same contractor was involved in both Mavoko Gardens and Golf View Apartments.

(III) Disputed purchase of property

The CEO and his cronies have engaged in the purchase of properties at exaggerated prices and others with fake titles. They allegedly bought 30 acres in Kitengela at an exorbitant price of Sh10 million per acre from a broker, while the market price at the time was Sh5 million per acre.

The land is disputed by the owners, and they have taken LAPFUND to court.

They purchased the land in Bellevue South C at Sh500 million per acre. A suspicious payment of an extra over 300 million was paid in early 2019 one year after the transfer was done.

(IV) Questionable trips

The CEO is accused of sending select members of staff for suspicious international training, seminars and trips that are not beneficial to the organization.

It is rumoured that some of them are in an intimate relationship with the boss.

(V) Irregular procurement

There are reports that the procurement of architectural property development consultants amounting to over Sh150 million was done through restricted tender against the PPAD Act regulations in June/July 2019.

LAPFUND is not a security body and thus should float tenders publicly.

Sources say that many other tenders amounting to millions of shillings are procured through quotation; for instance, the valuation of properties at Sh32 million was done in July/August 2019.

Others include:

• Illegal recruitment of staff without approval by the National Treasury or the board
• Funds amounting to over Sh11 million stolen from Golf View apartments has been written off as bad debts
• A property agent selling Mavoko Gardens retaining Sh8 million received on behalf of LAPFUND for over two years
• Improper reconciling of funds and non-issuance of statements due to plunder of the resources

“We request for a forensic audit of the fund by RBA to establish the rot and misuse of pensioners’ funds,” one staff member pleads.

They claim that the CEO survives on bribing and compromising anybody who tries to raise a finger.

“If the trend continues, it will deplete the fund of pensioners’ benefits. Politicians and other cartels collect money at will from the fund. He has protection from political players and other business cartels,” he warned.

Adding: “We request EACC and DCI to move with speed to investigate, arrest the culprits and secure the files before they tamper with the records.”

SimplePay has been having some issues for some time now.

As we have pledged before, this blog will keep highlighting the plight of these oppressed Kenyans facing toxic working conditions within the Wazungu-dominated Kenyan FinTech community.

READ MORE

1. More Malpractices at SimplePay Limited
2. Ex-Staffer Spills the Beans on Shocking Malpractices at SimplePay Limited
3. Disgraced FintTech Firm 4G Capital Exports Toxicity To Sister Company Simple Pay Limite

There’s a new branch manager that was brought that has made the lives of staff a living hell.

“Hi, I’m a new employee here, and in a span of 3 months I’ve had 2 branch managers. The recently fired one had no misconduct, the branch was performing despite having restrictions of bringing in new customers and giving customers increment on loans”, a source told cnyakundi.com.

Zero experience

The source says the new manager has zero experience in managing a team.

She is loud and obnoxious.

“…Now the issue is the lady who replaced the previous manager is a relative to the head of operations and she has zero experience in managing a team. Her management skills are poor and she is loud and full of insults and threatens the team everyday to use her connections to be fired,” the source adds.

The conduct of the new manager makes staff want to resign from the company due to the toxic environment.

“The team has zero morale to work, currently sending out CVs in hope of a less toxic work environment. It never got better,” the source concludes.

A section of Brookhouse School, Nairobi

There was a defilement case at Brookhouse School that was swept under the carpet two years on.

CNYAKUNDI.COM  has received reports that parents have demanded that action be taken against senior management individuals that covered up the case despite it being a very serious betrayal of trust by a teacher.

This site had reported that a teacher in the business studies department is said to have had sex with a 13-year-old girl at the school.

The case was heard and determined but kept under wraps.

According to sources, the male teacher was sacked but left to roam free.

“Action was taken. The teacher was sacked but not arrested. He is still roaming about. It’s alleged that the school has been trying to silence the story to avoid parents withdrawing their kids from the school en masse”, the source wrote.

This is a case of letting a rapist roam the streets freely, which should not be the norm just because of profits.

According to Kenyan law, an adult is a person who is 18 years and above. Having sex with an underage person must lead to arrest, prosecution and jailing.

In 2018, a 24-year-old Kisumu lady Judith Wandera was jailed for 15 years for having sex with an underage boy. The boy was 16 years old.

In November 2021, Mutungi Nzioki Ndaisi, a man from Makueni was jailed for 15 years for engaging in sex acts with a 15-year-old girl. He was accused of forcing his way with a minor on diverse dates between the month of March 2020 and June 2020.

The law on defilement

The Children Act, No 8 of 2001, Interpretations section states that a Child means any human being under the age of eighteen years. The Sexual Offences Act, Section 8 defines Defilement as follows: (1) A person who commits an act which causes penetration with a child is guilty of an offence termed defilement. (2) A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child aged eleven years or less shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for life (3) A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child between the age of twelve and fifteen years is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than twenty years (4) A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child between the age of sixteen and eighteen years is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than fifteen years (5) it is a defence to a charge under this section if- (a) it is proved that such child, deceived the accused person into believing that he or she was over the age of eighteen years at the time of the alleged commission of the offence; and (b) the accused reasonably believed that the
child was over the age of eighteen years (6) The belief referred to in subsection (5) (b) is to be determined having regard to all the circumstances, including any steps the accused person took to ascertain the age of the complainant. (7) where the person charged with an offence under this Act is under the age of eighteen years, the court may upon conviction, sentence the accused person in accordance with the Borstal Institutions Act and the Children’s Act. The severity of the sentence imposed will depend on the age of the ‘victim’ – where the victim is:

1. 11 years or under, the sentence is life imprisonment
2. between 12 years and 15 years, the sentence is up to 20 years’ imprisonment
3. between 16 years and 18 years, and the sentence is up to 15 years imprisonment.

The government should note this case, intervene and lock up the teacher before another schoolgirl falls victim.

Brookhouse has been rocked with scandals including a tax-evasion case that they recently lost to the Kenya Revenue Authority

A High Court in a decision rendered on 9th April 2021 found that Brookhouse Schools was liable to pay PAYE totalling KShs.140, 217,163.00 in respect of non-cash benefits accorded to their employees. The Court rejected the argument by the School that there was ambiguity in law on what value to be attached to the benefit.

KRA had filed an Appeal against the decision of the Tax Appeals Tribunal that the school was not liable to pay PAYE on the value of school fees forgone in providing education for the employees’ children and that KRA should have disallowed the cost of providing the benefit and subject the same to Corporation Tax.

Ganjoni Hospital, Mombasa

Medical staff at Ganjoni Hospital in Mombasa are up in arms against its management over delayed dues.

Writing to this blog on Friday, January 13th 2023, a source at the facility disclosed that they have gone unpaid for close to two months, with the last sum wired in November 2022.

When questioned about the late payment, officials blame it on a lack of funds, occasioned by the recent purchase of hospital equipment.

Those that dare to complain are immediately shown the door.

The staff have also protested rampant mistreatment at the workplace, claiming that they are heavily punished for genuine mistakes.

They reportedly give doctors strict targets to meet on the number of admitted patients.

“Good afternoon, Cyprian Nyakundi.

Ganjoni Hospital in Mombasa has not paid its staff their salaries since November 2022.

Whenever anyone tries to raise the question, they are fired with immediate effect.

Showing up to work late by even 5 minutes will be your sure way out as fired.

Some of the staff members have to walk by foot distances of up to 14 KMs to get to work.

Many are still coming to work hoping that all the missed unpaid salaries would be paid.

The management gives the excuse that there is no money and that the money was used to purchase equipment.

Doctors are given strict instructions to ensure that beds are occupied.

They must meet targets for admitted patients.

In Mombasa, viral or bacterial infections are common.

The treatment is mostly an antibiotic slightly stronger than widely used Amoxicillin.

Showing up with such sickness is a guarantee admitted.

Plus a mandatory cash-paid full hemogram test.

It’s messy.

I feel the pain of those who have not been paid since November 2022.

They’re going through the toughest of times,” the source informed us.

Doreen Ndombi Mbingi: The Head of the Large Taxpayers’ Offiat KRA

Rogue staff at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Large Taxpayers Office are sabotaging President William Ruto’s demand that they must collect more taxes to actualize the Kenya Kwanza development agenda.

Doreen Ndombi Mbingi, who heads the Large Taxpayers Office in December demanded a bribe in millions of shillings from a large multinational company or else she would not allow them to operate in Kenya.

According to trusted sources, the company could only pay her USD 1 million. The money was to be divided between staff at the Large Taxpayers Office, but Doreen Ndombi Mbingi kept it for herself without sharing it with officers from her department.

This has led to bad blood with the affected officers confidently leaking reports of Doreen Ndombi Mbingi’s underhand dealings to the media and bloggers.

Dr Ruto has set a new target to collect Sh4.8 trillion in tax revenue by June 2027, which portends an additional tax implication of Sh1.1 trillion on top of the National Treasury’s earlier projections amounting to Sh3.77 trillion for the same period.

“This target, set by the president, won’t be achieved if the same taxpayers are being asked for bribes, and when they pay one-third of what’s been asked, the officers keep the money, but still refuse to give clearance for the companies to operate. She heads a criminal enterprise wing at KRA, and has misled the Commissioner General on so many occasions, creating a wedge and bad blood between taxpayers and KRA,” says a source who works at the same department.

In a letter dated 5 December 2022, the Betting Control and Licensing Board suspended the licence of Blue Jay Limited, a company that had already adhered to all set regulations.

The reason why the licence was suspended is that they didn’t have KRA clearance

Doreen Ndombi Mbingi had asked for a huge amount of money to give them the clearance. The company only managed to pay one-third of the amount demanded, and Doreen Ndombi Mbingi stuck to her ground saying unless they paid the balance, she won’t give them the license.

She further demanded USD 5m from bookmakers SportyBet and upon failure to be bribed, she misled BCLB into cancelling the license of a business which employs thousands of Kenyans and pumps millions into the Kenyan economy.

The other money she demanded was from a multinational, Blue Jays owned by foreigners.

“In the letter REF. BCLB 11/84 VOL. III (9) dated 28th November 2022, the Board noted and appreciated the assurance you made in your response letter as it relates to the timely implementation of daily remittance of taxes due to KRA.

The Board, therefore, based on your assurance of total compliance, was hopeful that the correspondence between the two entities was to be the last on the subject matter.

The Board has however been informed that you are still not adhering to the daily tax remittance schedule as required. The Board, based on the above grounds has resolved in its Board meeting held on 5th December 2022 to suspend both your Bookmaker and Public Gaming licences for a period of fourteen (14) days with effect from the date of this letter until you prove compliance with the above directives.” reads the letter copied to the company CEO and also KRA.

“It’s on Doreen’s insistence that the BLCB cancelled Blue Jays license unless the money she wanted was paid to her,” says a source privy to the deal gone sour.

People at KRA are now a worried lot if president Ruto’s target will be met because of shenanigans from the head of the Large Tax Payers unit.

Kenya’s annual debt servicing costs remain high—the National Treasury will spend Sh1.393 trillion to service debt by June—even as Dr Ruto pledges to go slow on borrowing, end subsidies, cut government spending and increase revenue collection to expand the fiscal space.

What remains to be seen is if KRA will actually toe the line and do as the president demands or if it will be business as usual, where the likes of Doreen extort millions from honest business people.

“She is on the payroll of the lead bookmaker to ensure all competition is extinguished so that they can thrive further. This has been noticed because she protects them from any form of audit despite the fact that other players are subjected to endless audits,” reveals our source.

Her juniors at the Large Tax court Office are demoralized after they got to know that Doreen received the money but kept them out of the loop.

Many are now asking for transfers from the Large Taxpayers’ Office.

Sources from the department claim she has already received the second deposit of the bribe.

“These games used to happen in the previous regime. There is a new regime and she doesn’t even seem concerned that Dr Ruto’s government has no time for such jokes,” says an insider who further reveals Doreen has been going around telling anyone who cares to listen that she has been promised the Commissioner General job once the current Commissioner Mburu has been kicked out.

Wreckage from Wednesday’s terror attack reported in Bura East, Garissa County

A convoy of three vehicles ferrying Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) engineers was on Wednesday attacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Bura East, Garissa County.

The group of engineers was on a routine assessment of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project.

According to a police report seen by cnyakundi.com, an IED placed on the old LAPSSET road exploded and completely destroyed the first vehicle, a Toyota Hilux Double Cabin (KBV 520S).

The team was travelling from Garissa to Hailey Chinese Camp and then proceed to Bura East.

Following the incident, the rest of the vehicles turned back to Hailey Camp.

Three bodies were recovered from the scene, with the fourth person’s body believed to have been annihilated in the wreckage.

This is a developing news story; we expect the police to issue a follow-up statement in the coming hours.

An illegal development on a grabbed public land in Maringo, Makadara constituency, Nairobi.

Rogue officials at the Nairobi county’ City Hall and two Nairobi County Assembly Members (MCAs) alongside a businessman of Somali origin are believed to be behind the land-grabbing attempt of a public parking space in Nairobi’s Maringo area in Makadara constituency.

Reports on the ground indicate that the alleged land grabber identified as Abdul has already installed rental containers.

An illegal development on a grabbed public land in Maringo, Makadara constituency, Nairobi.

However, the Nairobi County administration, under governor Johnson Sakaja has since marked the developments for demolition.

“Abdul, with the help of a local politician and rogue City Hall, officials are behind this illegal seizure of public space. They are taking advantage since the current Sub County Administrator was newly posted in the area after their earlier attempts were thwarted by the predecessor.” one source said.

The office of the Makadara Assistant County Commissioner has already written to the developer warning that the ongoing construction is illegal.

A demolition notice issued by Makadara Assistant County Commissioner

Cases of illegal seizure of public and private land have been on the rise in the city, targeting unoccupied spaces.

The two politicians and the private developer who reportedly claimed he bought the public land from a private person are already under active probe by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

“There is a land-grabbing cartel working in cahoots with county employees to dispossess people of their land and public land in Eastleigh, Starehe amd Kilimani.” the source added.

Dr Hussein Hassan – CEO, First Community Bank

Depositors at struggling First Community Bank (FCB) have expressed fears that the lender could sink with their hard-earned cash.

Since the new year, most clients cannot access or withdraw money from their accounts.

The bank started facing liquidity problems in mid-2022, but the management dismissed the reports as rumours from ‘malicious sources’.

By October, the complaints had persisted, and a series of panic withdrawals badly hit the tier-three lender.

The panic withdrawals followed their decision to place limits on cheque clearance and withdrawals following an advisory from the banking sector regulator.

They promised their customers that they were working on ways to solve the liquidity problem, but close to three months down the line, nothing much has changed.

In fact, things only seem to be worse, as some customers now say they cannot access the capped amounts.

By January 2022, the maximum amount one could withdraw was Sh20,000 per day.

“Hi Cyprian Nyakundi, I trust you are well. 

My name is Ahmed. 

Kindly share the plight of poor depositors at First Community Bank (FCB) as you have been a voice for the voiceless. 

We are still not able to access or withdraw our hard-earned money from First Community Bank. 

Apparently, we were promised the liquidity issue will be resolved soon, it’s three months down the line and we cannot access our salary account,” Ahmed, a concerned teacher, wrote to this blog on Saturday.

His is just one in a dozen of grievances posted across social media platforms.

“I’m staring at a possible auction should I not remit the monthly instalment for my loan? I have money in my account, which I can’t access for reasons the bank is not explaining,” reads one complaint seen by cnyakundi.com.

“First Community Bank, just tell your customers the truth. If the bank is insolvent, just let the customers know in order to take legal action to claim their deposits,” the same depositor grumbled in another Twitter post.

“President William Ruto, First Community Bank customers cannot access their money. Why is CBK not coming to our rescue? Who stole our deposits? Why are the bank doors still open?” reads another tweet.

To some, the current happenings are bringing terrible memories of what was seen in 2015 when three lenders collapsed within nine months.

Dubai Bank was placed under receivership in August 2015, followed by Imperial Bank in October the same year and Chase Bank in April 2016.

In the case of First Community, years of money laundering and pyramid scheme depositing and lending seem to have finally caught up with the bank.

It appears that insider trading and lending by directors, dependence on criminal cash to run commonly known as ‘wash wash’ have brought the bank down to its knees.

Kisumu-based Firm Wins Big Against First Community Bank

Workers at Kilifi-based Waridi Nuts processing show their blemished hands

Casual workers at a Kilifi-based cashew nut processing plant have faulted its management for not adhering to health and safety guidelines.

Speaking to a local independent journalist, they accused the firm situated in Tezo Sub-Location of failing to provide the necessary equipment and safety gear, leaving them exposed to harmful oils with a deadly effect on their hands and skin.

Their shocking revelations came hours after a concerned Kenyan on social media started a conversation regarding the topic.

The Twitter user identified as Daniel Faraja had bumped into two workers at the company trading as “Waridi Nuts” and felt compelled to highlight their sad predicament.

In a thread of tweets, he shared unsettling photos showing the horrendous extent of damage to their hands; the fingers most affected.

The burns are caused by a chemical substance that is produced when obtaining the kern out of the cashew nut’s outer shell.

They do this by boiling the nuts, which is against the standard process where the nuts are roasted so that the oil burns up to reduce health hazards.

But the greedy owners of Waridi Nuts are hell-bent on harvesting every drop of oil at the expense of the well-being of their entire workforce.

To make matters worse, during a video interview with YouTube content creator “Ananda TV”, one worker revealed that the company pays them meagre wages of as little as Sh30 per day.

This amount varies depending on the weight of the cashew nut produced.

Waridi Nuts pays them Sh6 per kilogram, with a daily target of 5 kilograms for every worker.

Mark you, they do not recompense them for extracting the oils, which are separately sold at ridiculous prices.

The greedy owners sell the same cashew nut at Sh1,500 per kilogram.

The oils sell for as much as Sh4,000 for each 500ml bottle.

Reacting to the story, netizens have called on both local and international labour organizations to look into the matter and guide the helpless employees in seeking compensation and to ensure the processing plant complies and gives these workers the appropriate gear to carry out their work.

Some advised the workers to report the incident at the nearest Directorate Of Occupational Safety And Health Services (Doshs) office so the matter can be escalated to relevant authorities.

Section 14 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2007 of Kenya states that employers are required by law to ensure a safe working environment and prevent accidents and injuries related to work, including protection from chemical hazards that could damage hands.

Check out the full interview below.

PHOTO CAPTION: Celebrated rally driver Maxine Wahome has always been a darling of the Kenyan people; she seemed to always do everything right and elevated the country’s flag higher each time she held the steering wheel until things took an ugly, unexpected turn in December 2022, following the controversial death of her lover, Asad Khan.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is set to prefer murder charges against Safaricom-sponsored rally champion Maxine Wahome.

State prosecutor James Gachoka told Milimani senior principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi that circumstances in the matter have changed following the death of Assad Khan.

“The circumstances in this investigation have changed following the death of Assad last December. Maxine is now being investigated for murder and grievous harm I request the matter to be mentioned in 14 days,” Gachoka said.

The family of Assad has engaged lawyer Cliff Ombeta to appear for it in the matter.

Maxine was last month arraigned over the alleged assault of her boyfriend, top rally driver Asad Khan.

A court report stated that police had visited the scene and found blood and household goods littered on the floor and staircase.

She was released on a Sh100,000 cash bail after spending two nights in custody.

Days later, Khan was pronounced dead at Avenue hospital where he was receiving treatment following the incident.

He had initially been admitted to the Nairobi Hospital’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) with serious deep cuts on the right ankle.

His death prompted police to summon six key witnesses, including Maxine, for interrogation and recording of statements.

She was presented at Kilimani Police Station for a three-hour grilling session.

Her saliva samples were taken for DNA profiling at the Government Chemist.

Asad, 50, was described as humble, generous and kind-hearted.

Alongside his brother, they headed a team of mechanics as members of the Service Crew for the Young FIA Team that participated in several events across the continent.

Woke culture ideally comes from rabid feminism, which ultimately destroys the world by giving mean people a shield to be mean and cruel, armoured in false virtue.

The company’s hypocrisy stood out in this saga.

Safaricom’s glaring hypocrisy in the Maxine Wahome saga

It would not be shocking to learn that Safaricom paid Maxine Wahome’s cash bail.

Up to this day, the rogue Telco is yet to issue any statement condemning the Gender-Based Violence meted upon another by their champion and image carrier.

Their PR firm, Oxygene, has a lot to answer, with some bosses previously accused of sexual immorality within it.

But they are still serving. We can deduce why the statement has been delayed.

Their silence is deafening.

Safaricom PR collapses in Maxine Wahome Saga

A file image of security guards under Andrew Solomon’s Radar Security Limited

A security guard has reached out to us complaining about unhealthy working conditions under Radar Security Limited.

Radar Security Limited, which is owned by mouthy Karen-based Andrew Solomon is overworking security guards and deliberately delaying their salaries.

Read More: Slavery In Kenya: The Case of Kenyan Security Guards

“Hello Nyakundi, 

Good afternoon SIR, hope you are doing good. Kindly assist me share this on your social media platform, we are suffering.

There is this security company we work for by the name RADAR SECURITY LIMITED. 

Our boss, Andrew Solomon has kept us working for almost two months only to be paid as one month.

The situation is getting worse up to date we’ve not been paid the December salary.

The clients are paying cheques on time there’s no excuses at all the owner of the company only selects asmall group that works at embassies Runda.

Those working in Runda are paid so that to shield the company from shame.

We have been patient enough thinking that the situation will change but instead its getting worse.

Andrew Solomon, the owner of the company is taking advantage on us, he leaves in Karen and he has soo many businesses in Mombasa, the guy is soo rude for sure if you ask me to describe him uyo ni MNYAMATU.

Most of the clients say they have paid the company. If you complain where you’re working, the secretary and those in the finance department always says, “Nishalipa kampuni yenyu Chaque ya Miezi mbili.

Unatoka kwa nyumba sakumi asubuhi unarudi kwa nyumba sakumi na mbili jioni only familia kulala njaa.

My wife cannot trust me again.

The Landlord has embarrassed me infront on my family and neighbours.

Things are really bad here. This company will lead most of us into suicide.

Some of us, in fact, my situation is very bad, I haven’t paid 2 months rent, school will open next week and my mother expects me to help her back home. 

Kindly I need nothing more from you Sir but just share this post. 

You are my bridge to the help I honestly need. Thanks.” 

Embattled KPA Managing Director Macharia Irungu

Embattled Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Macharia Irungu has taken his gloves off and vowed to fight back against President William Ruto’s administration, which he blames for the current woes facing him.

Last week, the KPC board declined to renew Dr Irungu’s contract, ending his three-year tenure at the state corporation.

In a letter dated 13^th January 2023, it said that the three-year contract that he signed on December 2, 2019, was terminated because he did not express interest in extending or renewing it.

But interestingly, records show that the former board led by the then chairperson Rita Okuthe had extended Dr. Irungu’s contract in August 2021.

Ms Okuthe noted that Dr Irungu’s term had been adjusted to five years renewable subject to performance, mandatory retirement age and the guidelines governing the appointment of accounting officers to the state corporations.

Going by this statement, he was supposed to continue serving.

Running out of options and eager to retain his position, Dr Irungu vowed to take the battle to President Ruto’s doorstep and filed a case challenging his ouster at the High Court.

In a directive issued on Monday, the court urged both parties to internally resolve the stalemate caused by the contract extension drama, and if no settlement is reached, the case will proceed on February 7.

This timeline of events fits perfectly into Dr Irungu’s plan to frustrate KPA through a slow and incessant court process that risks crippling operations at the state corporation.

Dr Irungu took over at KPC in January 2020, replacing Mr Hudson Andambi who had served as the acting Managing Director since December 2018 following the arrest of former MD Joe Sang and other top managers on allegations of corruption.

At the time, insiders deduced that he was placed at KPC as a proxy of the Kenyatta family regime, which sought to clutch a tighter grip on the petroleum industry.

Two years later in 2022, investigators linked Dr Irungu to the highly guarded smuggling of 30,000 metric tonnes of petroleum into the country by Gulf Energy Limited.

The oil heist also incriminated top government officials in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining suspected to have offered a safe veil of shield to an invisible but well-connected team code-named “elite group” to facilitate the clearance of the consignment at the Port of Mombasa.

During his tenure at KPC, employees often heard Dr. Irungu bragging that he enjoyed protection from the first family.

It was him that single-handedly steered the corporation to a dark path of corruption.

Some argue that top State House officials influenced his recent troubles to punish him for the sins of the previous administration.

Prior to his appointment, Dr Irungu was the Managing Director at Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation.

He has nearly three decades of experience in the sector and has also served as a commissioner of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

Dr Irungu took over after a rough year characterized by leadership wrangles that saw several middle-level staff forced to take up acting roles following the arrest of senior managers over the alleged loss of public funds.

Outgoing IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu, whose tenures expire on Tuesday, have asked President William Ruto to form a commission of inquiry to probe the 2022 presidential election.

Speaking during the launch of the post-election evaluation report for the August 9, 2023 General Election at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on Monday, Chebukati said the inquiry will expose the intrigues after the presidential vote on August 9 at the National Tallying Centre inside the Bomas of Kenya.

The elections boss narrated how the state officials and mercenaries were used to intimidate, attack, arrest, and harm the commissioners and staff in a bid to influence the presidential results.

According to one of the commissioners aware of what transpired, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) made an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap Chebukati before he announced the final presidential results.

The fully armed officers arrived at Bomas and demanded to see Chebukati.

But when security guards and two other commissioners denied them access, the DCI officers insisted someone had sent them with a “special message” for the Chairman.

Chebukati was informed, but he refused to see them and instead locked himself inside his office.

As the standoff ensued, some of the members of William Ruto’s security detail arrived at Bomas to ‘check’ what was going on.

Ruto’s guards, some senior in rank, took charge of the place where Chebukati was ‘hiding’ and dared the DCI officers to break into Chebukati’s office and forcefully arrest him as tension mounted.

Another standoff ensued when National Security Advisory Council members arrived at Bomas to ask Chebukati to “delay the announcement until all votes are properly verified”.

The commissioners’ call could open Pandora’s box for top public officials whom he has publicly accused of trying to persuade him to “moderate” the presidential election results.

“The attempt [to change results] took the form of intimidation of some members of the commission by members of the National Security Advisory Council to moderate results in favour of a presidential candidate,” Chebukati said.

In his affidavit filed at the Supreme Court of Kenya in the case challenging President Ruto’s election, the chairman exposed NSAC members who visited him at Bomas and tried to persuade him against declaring Ruto as the President-elect.

They include Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, former police IG Hillary Mutyambai, Vice Chief of Defense Forces Francis Ogolla and former Principal Administrative Secretary Kennedy Kihara.

Ogeto and Ogolla are still serving.

Prior to the team’s visit, Chebukati had disclosed that he received a phone call from the then Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua who informed him that he had sent the team.

He noted that the delegation had informed him that if he declared Ruto the President-elect, the country would burn.

COTU Boss Francis Atwoli during a past heated media briefing

Central Organization of Trade Unions (Cotu-K) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has broken his silence following massive pressure from members of the public for him to respond to recent reports of worker mistreatment and exploitation at Waridi Nuts processing plant.

Speaking out via a Tweet on Tuesday, Atwoli condemned the incident as “very unfortunate” and called on relevant government agencies to ensure that all employers meet the stipulated standards.

“Very unfortunate. During the 110th session of the ILC, the principle of a safe and healthy working environment was adopted as a Fundamental Principle and Rights at Work. This means that GoK, through MoLSP, has to ensure that ALL Kenyans have a safe and healthy working environment,” the firebrand political personality tweeted.

This blog highlighted the sad story of the helpless casual workers at the Kilifi-based cashew nut processing plant. They faulted its management for not adhering to health and safety guidelines.

Speaking to a local independent journalist, they accused the firm situated in Tezo Sub-Location of failing to provide the necessary equipment and safety gear, leaving them exposed to harmful oils with a deadly effect on their hands and skin.

Their shocking revelations came hours after a concerned Kenyan on social media started a conversation regarding the sensitive subject.

The Twitter user identified as Daniel Faraja had bumped into two workers at the company trading as “Waridi Nuts” and felt compelled to highlight their sad predicament.

In a thread of tweets, he shared unsettling photos showing the horrendous extent of damage to their hands; the fingers most affected.

The Plight of Workers at Waridi Nuts Processing Plant in Kilifi

The burns are caused by a chemical substance that is produced when obtaining the kern out of the cashew nut’s outer shell.

They do this by boiling the nuts, which is against the standard process where the nuts are roasted so that the oil burns up to reduce health hazards.

But the greedy owners of Waridi Nuts are hell-bent on harvesting every drop of oil at the expense of the well-being of their entire workforce.

To make matters worse, during a video interview with YouTube content creator “Ananda TV”, one worker revealed that the company pays them meager wages of as little as Sh30 per day.

This amount varies depending on the weight of the cashew nut produced.

Waridi Nuts pays them Sh6 per kilogram, with a daily target of 5 kilograms for every worker.

Mark you, they do not recompense them for extracting the oils, which are separately sold at ridiculous prices.

The greedy owners sell the same cashew nut at Sh1,500 per kilogram.

The oils sell for as much as Sh4,000 for each 500ml bottle.

Yutman Mgaza

Notorious Dandora-based jailbird Yutman Mgaza Wadando alias “Eddy” was among 2 thugs that were shot dead by police on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Police fatally gunned down the two gunmen after they shot and injured a 33-year-old man in the Kabarage area of Dandora.

Eddy is not new to media headlines.

The street gangster never shied away from bragging about his crime sprees on social media.

Neither was he fazed when fierce cops warned him about his crooked ways. He instead dared the cops to cross his path.

Eddy was part of the dreaded “Wadando” gang.

His trademark brand on social media was taking photos with his face hidden.

He was put on the police radar for two years and was constantly advised to quit crime, but he never heeded any of the cautions.

In 2020, Nairobi’s faceless crime buster Hessy Wa Dandora warned Yutman Mgaza to be careful, noting that he was “playing on slippery grounds”.

He reminded him that some of his closest crime partners had already been gunned down and he was the only one remaining.

At the time, the infamous gangster was rumoured to be recruiting a new team of young boys and girls.

“Wewe endelea tu but one day it will rain heavily,” Hessy wa Dandora wrote in a Facebook post.

Hessy wa Dandora’s warning to notorious gangster Yutman Mgaza in 2020

A police source says that they believe Eddy was working under a group of well-established individuals who benefited from his criminal ways.

They used to bail him out whenever he was arrested.

One year ago, the robbery with violence suspect was severely shot during a raid but managed to escape from the scene with bullet wounds.

Efforts to track him down never bore any fruits, until Sunday when police cornered the deceased.

Eddy was in the company of a fellow Wadando gang member.

The duo even injured some members of the public during their evening stealing spree, which caught the attention of members of the public, who quickly alerted the police.

It emerged that the two also had a gun and were using it to threaten civilians before stealing their valuables and money.

One of the injured men is fighting for his life at the Mama Lucy Hospital.

Police recovered two homemade guns and two motorbikes from the scene.

The bodies of the deceased persons were moved to the City morgue awaiting identification by their kin.

Makongeni Police Lines

Yesterday, 16th January 2023, Thika DCIO Joseph Thuvi made a surprise visit to the Makongeni area of Thika Sub-County, Kiambu County.

He was in the company of Felix Kiarie Nduati, a man with an existing arrest warrant from the Thika Law Courts and who is known and feared within Thika over land matters.

And no, Felix Kiarie Nduati was not in handcuffs.

The visit was due to rising tensions over a 10-acre piece of land in the Makongeni, which is just next to Flame Tree Park, and a short distance away from Ananas mall on the Thika-Garissa Highway.

The land has, as has become common in Central Kenya, been under protracted tussle within the courts for more than 15 years.

In that time, the owners of the parcel of land have managed to keep it vacant despite active attempts to invade and sub-divide the property by interested parties.

However, with the matter on its last legs before the Environment and Land Court (ELC) and hearing of the case imminent, there is a wave of desperation by cartels and thugs to sell the property to unwitting victims and to leave them fighting the owners, while the thugs take off.

For the avoidance of doubt, the land in question has been under stewardship and protection of the court for that period.

One of the orders issued by the High Court on the land

The High Court has issued a series of court orders directing the OCS of the nearby Makongeni Police Station to ensure that the property is not encroached and successive OCS’s have done a passably good job of ensuring that this did not happen.

One of the orders issued by the High Court on the land

All this changed yesterday when Thika DCIO Joseph Thuvi left the Divisional Headquarters personally and came to oversee the encroachment and subdivision of the land.

He told the landowners who were there to protect their land that he would arrest them if they engaged in a physical confrontation with the land grabbers.

Behind him, Felix Kiarie Nduati, the man who was orchestrating the land grab, smiled sheepishly. He continues to spend his days at the site, supervising the encroachment personally and safe in the knowledge that he is protected and untouchable despite an arrest warrant.

Why would the DCIO arrive at the site of a confrontation about land and personally insert himself in it, while openly taking one side, despite the existence of court orders that the land remain vacant?

Why would the senior DCI officer bypass the next-door Makongeni Police station, go directly to the disputed property, and leave his colleagues completely in the dark about his presence there?

How can innocent landowners stand against such powerful law enforcement officers who had a vested interest in their property?

Apparently despite the new DCI at Mazingira House, the body of the fish rotted ages ago and the sheep are now in the hands of the hyenas.

A photo collage of Lucy Njeri and a stock image of an unknown assailant

Nelson Ndereba, the estranged husband of Lucy Njeri, has broken his silence over accusations of plotting to kill his wife.

In an interview with a local media house, the 48-year-old Njeri claimed that she left Toronto to come to Kenya to be with her family for the festivities, only to be ‘kidnapped’ at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by unknown assailants allegedly sent by her husband.

She claimed the hitmen revealed that their client (Ndereba) had paid Sh1.5 million and ordered them to kill and dump her body in Karura Forest.

They even reportedly played her audio recordings of him issuing the instructions.

She later paid them Sh2 million so that they could spare her life.

After dominating headlines for the better part of the week, there is now a new twist to the interesting story, with Ndereba finally responding to the allegations.

In leaked WhatsApp messages, he admits hiring the men who picked Njeri up at the airport but argues that the murder plot tale was as an extortion attempt.

Ndereba says he only paid an old friend Sh50,000 known as ‘Swaleh’ for a three-day care hire service for his wife during her stay in Kenya.

He has also disputed the contents of a WhatsApp conference call that records him instructing on the killing and dumping of the body, insisting the conversation was edited and is not an accurate account of the full phone call.

Nderba further claims Swaleh used him as bait to get money from his wife and escape from the police, who he alleges are looking for him.

He now says his life is also in danger and that Swaleh is in Canada looking for ways to eliminate him.

The leaked messages between the separated couple dating from December 12 to January 8 also include a sensational discussion on the poisoning of nine members in Ndereba’s family and 11 from Njeri’s side.

The nasty fallout is slowly turning into a bitter family and property feud.

In their conversations, Ndereba occasionally confesses that he still loves Njeri but avoids responding to claims that he hired the gang to kill his wife and dump her body in Karura forest, despite Njeri repeatedly pushing him to plead guilty.

“It’s not my wish to part ways with you. You were played by the thugs who pretended to be friends. Please consider how deep you dig my grave. You might be putting yourself at risk,” Ndereba texted Njeri on the night of December 23 at 9.54pm.

In another message, Ndereba says he did not know Swaleh was a wanted criminal and insists he must face justice for kidnapping and robbing her.

“What you don’t understand is that the same guy is on wanted list by the Kenyan government for violence and gun related theft. I didn’t know when I contacted him. My apologies. However, we made a mistake to rent his car while he was looking for a way to get to Canada. Hana bahati (he’s not lucky) because I can’t accept how he tricked me on entering a path to Canada by playing between me and my wife,” he tells Njeri in a midnight chat on December 24, last year.

He repeats the same message on December 27, when he tells her that she only helped bring Swaleh closer to his capture by the authorities.

Swaleh’s phone number as provided is registered under the name Swaleh Njiru by Safaricom.

The registration number of the car he used to pick Njeri from the airport, according to the conversation, is KCV 222N.

But a check in the National Transport and Safety Authority’s TIMs portal revealed the number is not listed, which casts even more doubt into her story.

During her stay in Canada, Njeri was an athlete by profession.

Her husband, Ndereba Njeru, was also a runner.

Kiambu politician Governor William Kabogo

A city businessman has dragged former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo back to court, accusing him of grabbing his land in Runda and putting up a real estate project worth over Sh2.5 billion.

In court papers seen by cnyakundi.com the victim, Mr Kimani, alleges that Kabogo conned him out of the land that hosts Iguta Paradise Homes, a plush estate completed in 2018.

The project consists of 60 housing units, each four-bedroomed with several luxurious features and finishings.

According to the petitioner, each unit was valued at Sh30 million but Kabogo sold each house for Sh42 million.

He adds that Kabogo took possession of the property and evicted him and his siblings in 2016, leaving them homeless.

The legal battle over the land has been running for six years and the matter now sits at the Court of Appeal, which will determine whether the businessman will get a slice of the pie.

Kimani initially sued for Sh387 million.

The High Court ruled in Mr Kabogo’s favour in 2018, holding that there was no formal contract signed between the parties.

The judge ruled that in the absence of a formal contract and evidence that Kabogo was to hold the land in trust for Kimani, the court had no powers to proceed with hearing the dispute.

He challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal, which is now expected to make a determination on whether to uphold the previous decision or to order that the case be retried.

Records show that Kimani owned the properties in the 1990s and he used them as collateral for loans worth Sh15 million from NIC Bank (now NCBA) and ICDC.

They issued the loans to his company “Kenya Modern Digitals”.

In September 2000, NCBA threatened to auction the properties to recover its Sh10 million and interest of 20 per cent.

This prompted Kimani to approach Kabogo to help offset the loans and save the land.

Kabogo was to hold on to the title deeds in trust as the two decided whether to sell when land prices shot up, or go into a joint real estate project.

Kimani notes that profits were to be split equally. But in 2006, Kabogo became rather elusive.

Whenever he tried to check the status of the land or to have the agreement put in writing, the politician could not be found.

He later discovered in December 2017 that Kabogo was putting up dozens of units on the land and sued him at the High Court in Thika, seeking Sh387 million as compensation.

Macharia Irungu

Joe Sang has been reappointed to head the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) as Managing Director in an acting capacity.

Sang’, an ally of President William Ruto was acquitted of graft charges in December.

His appointment comes at a time when revocation of state appointment of former regime people is in top gear.

As per an internal letter from the board of KPC, immediate former Managing Director Macharia Irungu failed to accept the extension of his tenure, necessitating the need to look for a new person to fill the vacant position.

“Kindly note that following the 5th Special Board of Directors’ Meeting held on 13th January 2023 at Kenpipe Plaza, the Directors deliberated on the term of your contract dated 2nd December 2019 and arrived at the conclusions as hereunder;

1. There was only one contract duly signed by yourself on 2 December 2019 for a 3(three) year term with effect from 2nd January 2020.
2. There was no expression of interest on your part to have the same extended or renewed, despite an invitation by the Board to do so vide the letter dated 9° December 2022, written to you by the Board Chairperson.
3. The said contract expired on 1st January 2023.

Your contract term lapsed on 1% January 2023 and to this effect, you are no longer an employee of Kenya Pipeline Company Limited. Thank you for the services rendered to the company,” the letter titled expiration of employment contract signed by Faith Boinett stated in full.

Joe Sang

Sang’ and other senior managers of KPC were arrested and charged with implementing the Kisumu oil jetty project, which cost taxpayers an alleged loss of Sh1.9 billion.

Sang’ holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Nairobi and is a certified public accountant with extensive international training in governance and leadership in energy, among others.

READ: Kenya Pipeline Oil Heist: Focus Now Shifts To James Karanja And Joseph Wafula.

He had previously worked at the National Oil, Unga Feeds and the East African Breweries.

During his two-and-half year stint at KPC, Sang’ is credited with managing the debt portfolio resulting in a reduction of contingent liabilities from Sh17 billion to Sh4 billion.

Acting Nairobi City County Secretary Jairus Musumba

Jairus Musumba, the acting Nairobi City County Secretary is a man under siege.

His plans to extend his tenure at City Hall now faces a major hurdle after the position was re-advertised for the selection of a permanent nominee.

Insiders say that Musumba, who does not meet the required qualifications, lives in deep fear of losing the job and is always willing to bribe county officials to delay the advertising of the position.

This has enabled him to continue serving in an acting capacity.

Some have been quoted describing him as grossly inept and lacking in experience on administrative matters.

But this time around, he has run out of luck in his game.

His past crimes committed during the reigns of former governors Mike Sonko and Ann Kananu seem to have finally caught up with him.

Sources say Musumba was misused by Sonko and Kananu to change a number of committee minutes to facilitate suspicious payments to a number of law firms and pending payment.

One time, Musumba was forced to jump through his office window after CID officers raided him.

It is said by then, Musumba was hiding wads of cash in the office and had no option but to flee.

His dark past is proof enough that he is simply a crook who does not meet leadership and integrity standards as prescribed in chapter six of the constitution.