Graft and the city: How side deals have bogged down Nairobi from its infancy

Ofafa Jericho estate in Nairobi soon after it was built in 1963. The estate was at the centre of a corruption scandal between the city mayor and contractors. [File, Standard]

A tarpaulin for a sick cow, an occasional bottle of brandy to soothe an ailing wife and a lorry full of sand was enough to buy the city engineer’s consent.

These gifts by a Nairobi municipal contractor, sweetened with free flow of liquor, ushered the city engineer into the dark world of cartels which would claim the life of a colleague and destroy the careers of many.