Why Opposition strategist attracts respect and disdain in same measure

Economist David Mwangi Ndii

Economist David Mwangi Ndii is no stranger to controversy. He attracts respect and disdain in equal measure.

Dr Ndii has been a thorn in the flesh of the Jubilee government. His radical ideas and unrelenting crusade to 'bring change' to Kenya has drawn the ire of the ruling coalition.

Long before the secession debate was amplified following the recent elections, Ndii had flirted with the idea of breaking Kenya into separate ethnic states.

In an article published in one of the local dailies a while back, the National Super Alliance (NASA) strategist said the Kenyan experiment had failed and there would be great economic value if sections of Kenya seceded.

The same discussion was picked up and gained traction during the recent elections.

Intellectual brilliance

Ndii’s intellectual brilliance is not in doubt. Richtopia, a free digital platform providing content on finance and economics, ranks him 30th among the 100 most influential economists in the world.

His biting criticism of the Jubilee administration has endeared him to the Opposition and, naturally, put him at loggerheads with the Government.

Ndii caused a storm ahead of the August 8 elections when he tweeted that the country would burn if President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared winner in "another sham election".

Jubilee supporters took to social media to criticise him but Ndii characteristically remained unapologetic.

"Ndii should go and burn his house or his property. This country will never go to war again," tweeted Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.

Ndii has been a vocal critic of Jubilee's economic agenda. On several occasions, he has pointed out corruption and plunder of public resources, especially in mega infrastructure projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and the Eurobond credit facility.

Historical injustices

Ndii has also been vocal on historical injustices and the festering land question, which successive Kenyan governments have failed to address. 

His arrest on Monday occurred only days after he was appointed by NASA to chair the committee charged with co-ordinating the People’s Assembly.

Initially taking on subtle roles, Ndii is now said to be the brains behind most of NASA's strategies that have given the Jubilee government sleepless nights.

Interestingly, the strategist comes from Uhuru’s backyard. But that has not stopped him from taking on the President, which has made him an unpopular figure in Central region.

Information on his early years is scanty.

However, those who know him say Ndii comes from Karia village in Ikinu, Githunguri constituency in Kiambu County.

He is said to have been living with his mother, who was a local school teacher, before they moved to Nairobi.

A Karia resident who declined to be named said very few people in the area knew Ndii since he left the village for Nairobi as a young man many years ago.