Businessman Paul Kobia, popularly known as Prezda, wants Kenyans to take his presidential ambitions seriously. And if there is one thing he believes should separate a serious presidential aspirant from the crowd, it is money.
Not campaign promises. Not roadside declarations. Not even the increasingly familiar political fundraiser where aspirants invite supporters to contribute towards their campaigns.
For Kobia, a presidential candidate should first demonstrate the financial muscle to run an operation capable of matching the demands of the country’s highest office.
“I see so many politicians, some established, others young, who are even asking their voters to fundraise for them. That is the most malicious and conniving behaviour from someone who wants to lead,” he says.
It is a provocative position in a country where political fundraising, party mobilisation and contributions from supporters are common features of election campaigns. But Kobia is unapologetic about his argument: if someone wants to become President, he believes that person should first demonstrate the capacity to finance a serious political operation.
“I will be on the ballot next year as a presidential candidate,” he declares, referring to the 2027 General Election.
The statement marks another political ambition for the flamboyant businessman, whose nickname, Prezda, has long sounded like a campaign slogan waiting for a candidate.
But this time, he says, the ambition is moving beyond talk.
Kobia says he is in the final stages of harmonising his manifesto and preparing to advance his political party plans under the National Liberal Party (NLP), the vehicle he identifies with his presidential ambitions. He also says he is open to working with leaders who share his development agenda, a notable shift in tone from his previous public confrontations with government figures.
For now, the presidential declaration is clear. The organisational details are what remain to be demonstrated.
And on that score, Kobia has some rather expensive ideas.
Sh100 Million for the Secretariat, Sh5 Billion for the Presidential Campaign
While many aspiring candidates begin by assembling campaign volunteers and looking for affordable office space, Kobia has a considerably more elaborate starting point.
He estimates that a presidential secretariat should have a net worth of at least Sh100 million if the candidate expects to be taken seriously.
“For a presidential candidate, a secretariat set-up should cost not less than Sh100 million,” he says.
His proposed operation is not simply an office with a few desks, a printer and a portrait of the candidate hanging behind the reception.
Kobia envisions a headquarters in an upmarket residential area, with rent paid for more than a year and provision made to keep the premises operational for at least two months after the General Election.
The reasoning behind the proposal, he says, is to project stability, seriousness and the ability to sustain a campaign beyond the excitement of a launch.
The building would house permanent administrative employees, a security team and staff whose salaries and allowances would be catered for over a year. He also proposes two chase cars, a vehicle fitted with sound equipment, executive boardrooms, VIP areas, furniture and office equipment. "Even die-hard supporters who follow the motorcade should be on a pay roll. It's a candidate's responsibility to make sure they eat and have their allowances catered for. It's never free. Nothing's for free,' he notes.
In Kobia’s world, the presidential campaign should look prepared long before the first major rally.
But the businessman says the secretariat is only a fraction of what it takes to compete for the presidency. His broader estimate for a fully funded presidential campaign is considerably higher: at least US$40 million, which he puts at approximately Sh5 billion.
According to Kobia, that is the kind of financial commitment required to convince voters that a candidate is a serious contender for State House.
“The presidential campaign will cost in full not less than 40 million USD, that is equivalent to 5 billion KShs. With this amount, you will be trusted by voters that you are a serious contender,” he argues.
The figure is his estimate of the resources needed to sustain a nationwide presidential campaign, rather than an official campaign expenditure threshold. It also represents a substantial increase on the Sh100 million he proposes for the secretariat alone.
His argument is that presidential politics requires more than a manifesto, a few public appearances and the enthusiasm of supporters. It demands a sustained financial commitment to staffing, transport, communications, mobilisation and the administrative machinery required to compete nationally.
There is, admittedly, a certain comedy in the idea that a candidate’s political seriousness might be measured by the elegance of a boardroom or the quality of the chairs in a VIP lounge. Kenya has witnessed enough political launches with impressive backdrops and enthusiastic crowds to know that a well-furnished office does not automatically produce votes.
Still, Kobia’s argument raises a legitimate question about campaign sustainability: how does an aspirant pay for research, staff, transport, communication, legal compliance and mobilisation without running out of money before election day?
His Sh100 million secretariat estimate and Sh5 billion campaign projection are his own assessments, not statutory requirements for presidential candidates. Nor does a costly headquarters or a large campaign budget guarantee grassroots support, party organisation or electoral success.
But the figures reveal how he intends to distinguish his campaign from what he regards as underfunded presidential ambitions.
The Uhuru Kenyatta Precedent and the Opposition’s Financial Challenge
To make his case, Kobia points to the 2013 presidential election, when Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto, campaigned under the Jubilee alliance.
Kobia claims that Uhuru spent more than Sh10 billion on the 2013 campaign during the formation of Jubilee. He invokes that figure to illustrate what he considers the financial scale required to mount a winning presidential campaign in Kenya.
The spending figure is a claim attributed to Kobia and would require independent verification before being presented as an established account of the campaign’s expenditure.
His wider argument, however, is directed at the current opposition, which he believes faces a significant financial disadvantage as political formations reorganise ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“When I look at the financial muscles of opposition candidates, no one has the power of money amongst the opposition regrouping,” he says.
Kobia argues that, regardless of the strength of individual opposition leaders or their public support, they will struggle to defeat the incumbent political establishment without the resources required to sustain a nationwide campaign.
“Really, amongst the opposition outfits right now, nobody can beat the current regime without that muscle,” he says.
It is a blunt assessment of Kenyan electoral politics, where alliances, regional voting patterns, party machinery, candidate popularity and access to campaign resources can all influence the contest.
Yet the suggestion that money alone determines who can win an election is open to debate. Financial resources can help candidates maintain visibility, organise events, recruit personnel and communicate their messages, but electoral outcomes also depend on public confidence, political organisation, the credibility of candidates and the issues that matter to voters.
Kobia’s position nevertheless reflects his conviction that an opposition candidate who cannot finance a sustained campaign risks being outmatched by a better-resourced rival.
For him, the question is not simply whether opposition leaders have the political appetite to challenge the government. It is whether they have the financial capacity to turn that ambition into an effective national campaign.
Prezda Says He Is Ready to Put His Money Behind the Bid
Kobia is not merely proposing a high financial threshold for other presidential aspirants. He says he is prepared to fund his own campaign with support from investors.
The businessman says he is ready to commit resources exceeding US$50 million towards full presidential campaign operations, with the ultimate objective of winning the presidency.
“I am ready to fund my campaign with the help of investors, spending over 50 million USD for full presidential campaign operations up to State House,” he says.
At the approximate exchange rate implied by his own figures, US$50 million would represent more than Sh6 billion, putting his proposed campaign budget above his earlier Sh5 billion estimate.
The distinction matters because Kobia is presenting his presidential ambitions as a project backed by a willingness to mobilise substantial financial resources, rather than one that would depend primarily on contributions from ordinary supporters.
However, his stated willingness to spend that amount does not, by itself, establish that the money has already been secured. The identities of the prospective investors, the level of funding committed and the proposed financing arrangements remain matters that would need to be clarified.
His comments also raise questions about how such a campaign would be financed, managed and accounted for under the applicable rules governing political parties, campaign activities and political financing.
For now, his claim is a declaration of intent. Whether it translates into a documented funding commitment remains to be seen.
‘Mama Mboga’ Fundraising of sh10 donations Is Not Prezda’s Style
Perhaps the most provocative aspect of Kobia’s position is his rejection of campaign fundraising that depends on small contributions from ordinary Kenyans.
He particularly objects to aspirants asking ordinary citizens, including small-scale traders popularly referred to as mama mboga, to contribute towards their presidential campaigns.
His message is unmistakably confrontational: candidates who aspire to the presidency should demonstrate their capacity to mobilise substantial resources instead of turning to struggling citizens to finance their ambitions.
Supporter contributions can be a way of demonstrating public participation and allowing citizens to invest in a political movement. They can also help candidates who lack wealthy backers build a campaign from the ground up. At the same time, a candidate who depends on small donations must still demonstrate that those contributions can sustain the demands of a nationwide campaign.
Kobia clearly favours a different model: a campaign supported by substantial private resources and investors, with enough financial capacity to operate independently of repeated public fundraising appeals.
The question is whether that approach would appeal to voters who may be more concerned about the source of campaign money, the interests of investors and the policies a candidate would pursue once in office.
A campaign funded by wealthy individuals or investors would need to demonstrate how it would safeguard public interest and maintain independence from the people financing it.
In a country where the cost of living, unemployment, public debt and access to essential services remain important political concerns, the source of a candidate’s campaign money could become as significant as the amount available.
From Businessman to Presidential Contender
Kobia is not entirely new to the political scene. His name has appeared in political and business reporting for years, including coverage of his links to prominent political figures and his son Geoffrey Kobia’s unsuccessful Nairobi gubernatorial bid in 2013.
A 2013 interview with The Standard also recorded his claims about spending heavily on his son’s campaign. Those past experiences may inform his belief that presidential politics demands serious financial preparation. They do not, however, establish the size of the resources available for his own 2027 bid.
His political persona has often been confrontational, particularly in his public criticism of government figures. His latest message, however, suggests that he wants to be seen as a businessman prepared to build a political organisation, finance a sustained campaign and work with leaders who share his development agenda.
The challenge will be turning that declaration into a credible national programme.
What would his administration prioritise on the cost of living, employment, public debt, healthcare, education and corruption? How would he fund his proposals? Which leaders and organisations are prepared to work with him? What safeguards would govern the relationship between his proposed investors and his administration?
Those are the questions his manifesto and party arrangements will need to answer.
Money Can Build the Machinery, but Can It Win the Presidency?
Kobia’s declaration arrives as politicians prepare platforms, organise parties and negotiate alliances ahead of the 2027 election. In that crowded field, a candidate needs more than an announcement to remain visible.
A functioning secretariat can coordinate a campaign. Vehicles can transport organisers. Salaries can retain staff. A polished headquarters can host meetings. Billions of shillings can potentially support nationwide communication and mobilisation.
But the presidency requires more than financial muscle. It requires a national coalition, a convincing programme, credible candidates and the ability to earn support across communities and counties.
There is also the question of accountability. A candidate who presents access to billions of shillings as proof of seriousness must explain how the funds will be raised, whether the commitments are real and how the campaign will comply with the law.
Money can help build the machinery. It cannot, by itself, supply public trust.
Kobia insists he will be on the ballot in 2027 and says his party preparations are approaching the final stage.
He has put a price on what he considers a serious presidential campaign: at least Sh5 billion, with his personal ambition extending to a proposed investment of more than US$50 million alongside investors.