Nkaissery: His discipline, authority, enduring legacy and hidden wealth

Former Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery. [Standard]

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Kasaine ole Nkaissery quietly but suddenly slipped away into the world of death.

Although he was a renowned politician and man of influence, only he, perhaps his close family, and God knew how much he was worth.

In life, he put up a picture of a simple man who was disciplined to the wire and incorruptible.

During the vetting, just as with many other leaders who have served the government, his net worth and interests, and perhaps businesses outside politics, remained a secret that common folks could guess or rumour about, but with nothing concrete.

The Saturday Standard can reveal that the former Minister was worth Sh100 million. His wealth was primarily centred on land, bank cash, and shares.

The Retired General, a tall man who commanded with regal firmness, came into the limelight after being elected as the Member of Parliament for Kajiado Central in 2002 on a Kenya African National Union (KANU) ticket, a seat he retained until former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him to the Interior and National Coordination of National Government in December 2014.

At the time, Al-Shabaab had become a headache for the Jubilee government as it killed dozens in Mombasa, Mandera and Nairobi, and so was the nuisance of bandit attacks in Kapendo, on the border of Turkana and Baringo counties that gave President Uhuru sleepless nights.

He headhunted the MP who was then in the opposition for the job. Asked what plans he had, he played by the military book, saying little but letting everyone wait for the results.

“If you tell me to tell you my plans when I become the CS CS Internal Security, I will be talking to Al-Shabaab,” said Nkaissery during vetting by the then Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, who was franked by the then majority leader, and current Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale.

The vetting team discussed many issues, but nothing on how much the then Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) member had amassed.

At the time of his death, Nkaissery had at least 14 pieces of land in the Kajiado area. He had also purchased another at Nya, Oibollosat. Kajiado was his home ground, and he had heavily invested in it.

Other places of interest for him were Kiambogo, where he owned two properties, and Ilbisil, Kajiado, where he was buried and owned two properties.

The former sniper had also invested in land in Ngong town, Namanga, NoonKopir, Saina Estate, and Ololelian Trading Centre.

In the meantime, court papers reveal that he also had an interest in the banking industry with shares at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).

In addition, the former CS had his eyes on an investment vehicle, Landers Investment Company Limited, where he had shares. The other company his interests were, was Carton Count Management.

When his wife, Helen Nkaissery, filed for succession, she was not aware that he had other assets.

She had to go back to court to include them in the initial list.  She listed two other accounts in Equity, a property in Nakuru and Lorngusua Kajiado County.

“I will faithfully administer according to law all the estate by law devolves upon and vests in his representative of the deceased and I will render a just and true account of such estate whenever required by law so to do and I will when required by this court,” Hellen swore in her court papers.

His family gave a global figure on his wealth without revealing which was the most priced property or companies he had heavily invested in.

The new list also showed that he had invested in blue-chip companies such as Safaricom Kenya Airways and Kakuzi. In addition, he had shares in the National Bank of Kenya, Barclays Bank and Housing Finance.

According to court documents, Nkaissery had a tractor, a Range Rover, a Landcruiser and a Toyota Hilux.

Interestingly, he had 10 bank accounts, of which the Stanchart was his most preferred bank with five accounts. Others were in Co-operative Bank, Equity, Housing Finance and Postbank.

The general was so disciplined that he had zero liabilities in his lifetime, but he died without a will.

Born on November 28, 1949, he completed his secondary education in 1970 and joined Kenyatta University the following year. He was among the students of the pioneer class but he dropped his quest for education to join the Army as a cadet.

He was trained in Lanet’s Armed Forces College and Dehra Dun, India Military Academy.

The father of four was commissioned as a second lieutenant on November 23, 1973. During his time in the disciplined forces, he rose to the rank of Army Major General after serving as the commander of the Western Command.

He also served as a Chief instructor and Deputy Commandant of Kenya Defence College (Karen); second Brigadier Commander (Cilgil); Chief of Personnel, of Kenya Army Headquarters, Personal Military Assistant to the Chief of General Staff; Instructor, of the School of Infantry (lsiolo); Cadet instructor and founded sniper courses in the Kenya Armed Forces.

Nkaissery was the first Kenyan to be trained as a sniper in the United Kingdom.

He retired from the disciplined forces on August 15, 2002, to contest for the Kajiado Central parliamentary seat, which he successfully defended twice in 2007 and 2013.

In life and death, his story was decorated with praise for his virtues.

Major (RTD) Stanley Kiama, who was a Secretary General for the Kenya Veterans Association (KVA) in his memoranda to Parliament said Nkaissery was the right man for the country to deal with insecurity.

“There is no doubt that the nominee is not only a charming people person but also a man of impeccable integrity, well educated, disciplined, patriotic, Ioyal, decisive and above all a very honest and forthright individual who can be relied upon to deliver immediate and tangible results in this critical docket at this critical time of continuing threats to our National Security,” wrote Major Kiama.

Nevertheless, as mortals are imperfect, his utterances on the Maasai Community land ownership row with Nguruman Limited put him to the test.

He was accused of allegedly unlawfully directing Shompole and Olkiramatian to disobey court orders on the ownership of the property and occupy it. This would feature in his vetting before Parliament.

The politician was also questioned about the excesses he allegedly committed on Pokots during Operation Nyundo in 1984. The former CS was accused of confiscating 10,000 cattle from the area.

He replied: “ Just imagine, a Major transporting animals from Kacheliba, past Kapenguria, past Kitale, past Eldoret, past Nakuru, and Nairobi. At that particular time, there was a special branch, where were the policemen, there were other Majors… Major Nkaiserry alone, taking all the animals, 10000? I mean, surely can you believe such kind of a story?” he paused.

During his funeral on July 15, 2017, all who spoke before the thousands of mourners extolled the virtues of the late CS, whose sudden death shocked the nation. His loyalty and love for his country were the common thread among all tributes.

He died shortly after being taken to Karen Hospital at 67 years old.