Saturday, June 14, 2008

What Does Chris Kirubi’s Appearance In Court Mean?

Analysts are still puzzled and scrambling around for answers after one of the most political savvy businessmen in Kenya appeared in court yesterday morning over charges related to his ill-fated stint at the helm of the once immensely profitable Uchumi chain of supermarkets.

Those who understand this territory well are aware of the fact that Kenyan politics is in the strong vice-like grip of a certain clique of politically-correct businessmen. These gentlemen are determined that their gravy train does not end abruptly after President Mwai Kibaki leaves office in 2012. Many of these businessmen have broken all sorts of laws but if you expect to see them arraigned before court any time soon, you will grow old waiting.

It is also a well known fact that Mr Chris Kirubi despite his dark past related to the way he accumulated his vast fortune, has managed to play his politics intricately over the years. Probably the biggest test of this was during the tenure of former President Moi. Moi who had a rabid phobia for Kikuyus and went to great lengths to destroy their businesses even where it meant bringing down entire industries, oblivious of the impact that his actions had on the country’s economy. The coffee and tea industries in the country bore the brunt of the anti-kikuyu Moi purge.

Many prominent entrepreneurs from the community ended up in ruin. Not Mr Kirubi, he not only emerged unscathed but his business empire grew immensely and at the same time he managed to cultivate an enviable image as a principled businessman who did not touch corruption. This was not only amazing but very laughable to those who knew Mr Kirubi’s past and especially his antics at Kenatco during the coffee boom of the late 70s which changed his life. (See this article Chris wrote about Mr Kirubi’s dark past)

Some are beginning to point to the troubles, of a police kind, that former Juja MP William Kabogo ran into last year. That storm passed and analysts are saying that this one too shall pass and it is probably just some characters exerting their power to show everybody who is boss. Let time be the judge.

10 comments:

  1. Kirubi to be charged? What a joke!

    There are two species in Kenya which are ABOVE the law.

    1)the man with less and least melanin pigment under the skin.
    2)the man who salutes using the words: ATHERERE.

    Agree with me that Kirubi, Lord Delemare's grand son, Deepak Kamani, etc can do anything in Kenya. No law will touch them.

    I want to bet with you bloggers: If Kirubi goes to prison, I'll pay 10.000/=Ksh to any children's home, if Delemare Jr is jailed for life, I'll pay 20.000/=.

    -malingumu-

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  2. -malingumu-

    I concur.

    Sending these guys to trial will be opening A CAN OF WORMS that Moi and Kibaki would rather prefer stays shut!

    Moi was president during the raping of our once favourite supermarket.

    Kibaki was Finance minister when ICDC/Kenacto was raped.

    More often than not, these 'businessmen' never work alone and a large percentage of the stolen loot is used to grease their palms.

    A fair and transparent TRIAL of any of those scandalous individuals will see witness testimony implicating the power brokers.

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  3. Vote for me. I promise you if you vote me as your next President the following people will be in court within hours of my swearing in:
    1. Daniel Moi
    1. Gideon Moi
    3. Chris Kirubi
    4. William Kabogo (Huyu tutabonga)
    5. Haroun Mwau
    6. Nicholas Biwott
    7. Any other swindler or drug baron out there.

    That's my promise to you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wait brother. Wait

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  5. Kamani is Kikuyu, so is Delamere's grandson. Moi is also Kikuyu. Harun Mwai is also Kikuyu?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Vikii,
    You can count on my VOTE. But unless the constitution is changed on the 35 year requirement it amountss to SPOILT vote, ama?

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  7. vikii

    that would be no different from the big man syndrome and roadside declarations that continue to plague us. so does that mean rule of the law will come to an end and you become prosecutor, judge, jury from the high office?

    if you change your attitude to empowering institutions mandated to do these tasks, encourage professionalism and due diligence with integrity and etc, you have my vote, otherwise you become another despot at the next "re-election"

    ama aje

    that would be solving one problem (kirubi et al conviction) by creating 10 potential others. but the gist of your comment is noted i.e you vow to be impartial and upright

    UrXlnc

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  8. Taabu yeah, scrapping of age restrictions is something we are going to fight very hard for. Like you know, I have been steadfast in refusing to see the relevance of age in leadership (both minimum and maximum). Martha Karua may not have asked for funds for the review process but believe me that is something nobody will compromise on.

    UrXlnc, I get what you say my brother, but you see desperate times call for desperate measures. I will be instructing the director of Public Prosecutions and the AG to take that case to court within hours. At least that will be an improvement on what Tuju did five years ago about the KICC. Do you know how many billions of shillings the government has been able to collect from the KICC (rent), money that would otherwise be going to Moi and his cronies. Now imagine what would have happened if we took the route of the due process.

    Sometimes I think a revolution is what the country needs. Otherwise hii frustration manze itatuuwa.

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  9. Kirubi and other board members have been charged with selling a store and leasing it back. This is a very common business transaction. Methinks someone is being laundered. Charge me with a weak case and I will eternally claim the courts set me free! No mention of Uchumi ever again. Get it?

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  10. At Uchumi, CK only did what he has done all along. Before the OAU meeting in Nairobi in the early 1980's some limousines were bought by the government for used in transporting the d(icta...)elegates. Paperwork shows that the cars were brought in though Uganda of all places! But what happened is that they were bought from Germany by a now close business associate of CK who is Ugandan then purpotely re-exported to Kenya. The buyer, KENATCO, whose MD was CK. KENATCO the then leading transportation company (it owned hundreds of heavy trucks, taxis and passenger vans) collapsed in the hands of CK at a time when his personal fortunes grew rapidly.

    You should also go into the archives of the Weekly Review and read the scandal that was the ownership of International Life. Stuff fit for a blockbuster movie full with sex and money scandals!

    If he wasn't charged by Dan, do you think Emilio's antics are anything but laundering as Anon 12:23 AM has rightly put it!

    ReplyDelete

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