Mt Kenya tycoons loosen purse strings to aid State officials

A fleet of top of the range vehicles that were donated to county administrators by the Mt Kenya Foundation on June 7, in Nyeri Town. [Photo: Allan Mungai, Standard]

Central Region Commissioner Wilson Njega travels in a Range Rover, but that is not the only vehicle assigned to his office. In his fleet is a Mercedes Benz S350, a Toyota Land Cruiser TX and a Land Rover Defender.

Mr Njega may be entitled to the fleet of cars, but his counterparts in other regions do not enjoy such luxury.

He is a beneficiary of the benevolence of wealthy Mt Kenya business moguls who have not spared any effort to complement government operations in the region. Similarly, other county commissioners have been assigned a Toyota Land Cruiser TX and a Land Rover Defender.

A fortnight ago, prominent central Kenya businessmen, gave life to the popular phrase attributed to former United States President John F Kennedy - “Ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country”- when they donated 29 top of the range vehicles to the government.

It is a rare feat acknowledged by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi.

The vehicles donated were a Mercedes Benz S350, two Toyota Prados and two Land Rover Defenders which will be given out to County Commissioners in 10 counties.

Former Equity Bank Group Chairperson and Mt Kenya Foundation Chairman Peter Munga said that 24 other vehicles would be provided gradually to help improve security and socio-economic development in the region.

According to the vehicle deployment plan revealed by Dr Matiangi, the regional commissioners will each have three vehicles under their office, while the county commissioners would get two. 

The counties that received the vehicles are Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Laikipia, Nyeri, Nyandarua and Murang’a.

“This is very unique. It is the first time that citizens are sacrificing to support the government to provide its services,” he said.

But Mt Kenya Foundation is not your ordinary foundation, it is made up of some of the wealthiest men in the country.

Although these business moguls have been known to pull strings behind the scenes and were also influential in previous governments, what is surprising observers is that this once secretive group has now come out in the open.

The social group comprises the ‘who is who’ in the wealth club and its members are not known to have a penchant for politics despite being influential in business and corporate circles.

Apart from Mr Munga, other faces behind the powerful group include, Mastermind Kenya entrepreneur Wilfred Murungi, former Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Michael Waweru, former Kenya Airports Authority Chairman George Muhoho and former Methodist Bishop Law Imathiu among others.

Fight against illicit liquor

In 2016, the group met at the Windsor Golf and Country Club in Nairobi for an impromptu fundraiser to assist the fight against alcoholism in the region. In less than an hour, the group had raised Sh51 million, slightly under a million per minute.

The impromptu harambee was conceived after the tycoons, discussed how they could help resolve some of the problems bedeviling Mt Kenya.

From that evening meeting, the business magnates agreed on the need to change the social face of central Kenya.

Aside from the retired Equity Bank Group Chairperson, most of the tycoons have opted to get things done from behind the scenes.

The group was established in 2008 by businessmen in the area and according to Munga, has dedicated itself to “the social and economic development of the region.”

“We are not necessarily more endowed than others but we have the passion and interest to see Mt Kenya develop in socio-economic activities,” he said when he handed over the vehicles.

The vehicles are part of the group efforts to bolster the fight against insecurity and illicit alcohol in the region.

“We are concerned that drug addiction and other related ills are back and we want to provide the tools necessary so that these officers can discharge their duties,” said Munga.

Under the Epuka Ulevi Campaign, they were the invisible hand in the fight against illicit liquor in Mt Kenya region.

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho noted that the group’s intervention had paid off especially in counties such as Murang’a where alcohol addiction was rampant.

Prof Macharia Munene feels that the donation is likely to increase the level of influence that the Mt Kenya Foundation enjoyed. “If they donated those vehicles to the government, they probably want effective service delivery to the public in the region. Their influence is thus likely to rise,” he said.

The influential group also played a leading role in the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta by donating vehicles to ferry voters to the polling stations and enticing youth to register as voters.

They are also said to be influential in the inner sanctum of power and their influence is likely to come to play in President Kenyatta’s succession.

“Anyone seeking to inherit Mt Kenya voters must approach the region and I can tell you that these tycoons would definitely have a say. It will not be direct but in one way or the other, their wisdom will be sought,” said a politician aware of the group operations.

A politician who views the group as irrelevant claimed that it's preferred candidate for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in the last election fell flat even during the Jubilee nominations.

“The group was pushing a candidate in Nairobi but he performed dismally despite being the one who was always coordinating its activities across the counties. I don’t think they wield so much influence as you try to put it,” said the politician who did not want to be named.

Some residents have questioned the move by private citizens to donate vehicles to government.

“Does this mean the government is incapable of running its own affairs? I think the prudent thing for these people would have been to help in construction of police posts and stations not the luxury of the well paid,” said James Maina of Futa Magendo Action network.