Businessman Jimi Wanjigi addresses a press conference at his residence
in Muthaiga, Nairobi on Wednesday, at the end of a 72-hour police siege
at the home. Flanking him are his wife Irene, Nasa leader Raila Odinga
(left), Siaya Senator James Orengo, Nasa co-principal Moses Wetang’ula
(right) and other political leaders. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NATION
MEDIA GROUP
When city billionaire Jimi Wanjigi emerged from the shadows this
week, he not only dropped some political bombshells — but also
confirmed what was the talk of town: He is the ultimate kingmaker.
For
the first time, the tycoon, who made his billions cutting government
deals and tenders, was forced to speak in public, and on live TV, during
a press conference at his 44 Muthaiga home, where opulence, power and
abundance loom large.
Jimi, as he is known, was angry and eloquent; — even livid. “This is personal,” he said. “It is persecution!”
But
has he come to play politics openly — in the footsteps of his father, a
former Moi cabinet minister and MP for Kamukunji, the Stanford-trained
James Maina Wanjigi.
On Thursday, he
returned to the courts for justice and got some reprieve as Justice
Chaacha Mwita barred the police from arresting him until December 9.
FIVE GUNS
The Director of Public Prosecutions had
claimed that there was reliable information on the commission of an
offence. Police had initially said that they found some five guns in a
Malindi villa — an allegation dismissed by Mr Wanjigi.
While
the office of the DPP told the court that the matters under
investigation were very serious and pose a serious threat to National
Security and Public Service, Justice Mwita declined to set aside the
Sh50,000 anticipatory bail issued on Tuesday, October 17.
That
he had come out to play hardball politics was not lost on observers. Mr
Wanjigi was neither meek, nor timid and it was clear that he had
emerged to confront his accusers.
By
his side were National Super Alliance (Nasa) luminaries Raila Odinga,
James Orengo, Moses Wetang’ula and tens of supporters who had come to
offer him political comfort after a harrowing 72 hour-siege that was
only lifted by a court order.
GOVERNMENT FORMED
It
was here, he told the press after the police left, where President
Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister
Odinga met after the ruling on the 2013 presidential election petition
and shook hands.
This, he also said,
was where President Kenyatta’s government was formed. Neither Uhuru,
nor Ruto has denied earlier association with this influential
power-broker who has since shifted his loyalty to Mr Odinga, a man he
calls “Baba”.
The admission was the
first signal of how Kenya has become a plutocracy — a government by the
wealthy — whose broken political system is now always controlled by the
uber-rich tenderpreneurs who pull the strings of power.
That
the businessman could invite, nay summon, the two leading contenders in
a presidential race to his house is an indicator of how the political
system is tilted against the ordinary citizen and how those with
obscenely large amounts of money — old money and new money — control
both the economic and political stakes.
CLOSE ALLIES
Before
they fell out, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and Mr Wanjigi were close allies.
So close, that in his book, former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka,
recounts how Mr Wanjigi accompanied them to his house to break the bad
news: Kalonzo would not be on the presidential ticket and should pick
another position.
For his part, Mr
Ruto told a television host in July this year that Mr Musyoka introduced
them to Mr Wanjigi and that “he (Kalonzo) knew him better”.
But
Mr Musyoka denied the allegations, saying the DP and Mr Wanjigi were
friends who fell out over the mega deals of the standard gauge railway
and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s planned second runway
after Jubilee won the 2013 elections. He also challenged Mr Ruto to deny
that Mr Wanjigi assisted them to “fix” the 2013 elections.
Whatever
the truth, it is now known on the day that Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were
waiting for the announcement of presidential results in 2013 at a house
in Karen, Mr Wanjigi drove to the scene and sat between the two. The
three were deeply engaged in some light banter and laughter. Someone was
taking photos to capture the moment.
PET PROJECT
The
friendship, according to insiders, ran until December 2013 when
President Kenyatta was the guest of honour during the launch of the
elder Wanjigi’s autobiography, The Shepherd Boy, at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi, shortly before the President flew to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral.
A
week earlier, the President had also broken ground for the construction
of the Sh64 billion Greenfield airport terminal at JKIA — another
project associated with Mr Wanjigi.
The
President, according to close allies, was angry that some lawyers
wanted to block the building of the Sh330 billion standard gauge
railway, which had been removed from Mr Wanjigi’s hands and became a
government-to-government deal between Kenya and China. As a result, Mr
Wanjigi, who claimed this to be his pet project, was financially
sidelined.
FRICTION
Whether
this fallout — and his latter shift to backing Nasa — is the source of
friction between him and the Jubilee government is open to debate. Mr
Wanjigi has said that he reads politics in the dramatic raid of his
house, a villa in Malindi, his office on Nairobi’s General Mathenge
Drive and Caramel, the high end restaurant in Westlands.
While
Mr Wanjigi engaged the police in a hide-and-seek game and they were
unable to get him, and that the matter has now taken a political turn,
might see Mr Wanjigi occupy a front seat in politics.
Previously, he was at peace playing cards behind closed doors.
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