Muthoka, Munga, Muthama, Wanjigi, Abu are among few Tycoons funding Kenya politics

From left, Muthama, Muthoka, Abu. PHOTO | NMG

Mr Andrew Ngirici, the husband of Kirinyaga Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici, asked the billionaire founder and owner of Equity Group, Mr Peter Munga, not to interfere in the Kirinyaga County affairs.


Mr Munga is said to be in the process of reuniting with Governor Anne Waiguru and the Kirinyaga County Assembly.


“Munga should be reminded that we are capable of solving our issues,” Mr Ngirici said.

The equity bank founder is from Murang’a County and is a member of the Mt Kenya Foundation, a club that was effective in securing Mr Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential victories in 2013 and 2017.


Before the 2017 election, President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted tycoons for a dinner at Safari Park Hotel. They reportedly raised more than Sh1 billion in just two hours.

These tycoons are also behind the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force, they have already handed their recommendations some of which have been captured in the final document that the team is expected to hand the President.

President Kenyatta’s younger brother Muhoho takes care of the family business empire.


Muhoho prefers operating from the background but Cabinet secretaries and civil servants consult him in matters concerning the government.


The Rai family, a family name in the sugar and timber industry, is another tycoon with State influence.

Mr Munga said business and politics are like Siamese twins.

“Without political stability and peace, no business would flourish. People want an environment they can plan and invest unhindered. Stable countries have done well,” he said.

“Any violation of the electoral law breaks democracy. Giving funds to get votes is a violation of democracy. Paying money to secure a person’s vote is such violation,” legal scholar Prof Yash Pal Ghai said.

Mr Peter Muthoka is now the key strongman in Ukambani politics, commanding the respect of elected leaders from ward representatives, MPs to governors.


He hosted elected and religious leaders from across lower Eastern on December 25 at Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s Yatta farm, giving every MP Sh100,000 and ward representative Sh50,000 while bishops each got Sh 500,000.

Peter Muthoka action angered former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama who had been the Wiper financier.

Mr Paul Wanderi Ndung’u i, the former chairman of betting firm SportPesa, has a majority shareholding in a number of companies and was one of the main financiers of the Jubilee administration.

“They are behind most of the mega scandals the country has witnessed, dating back to independence,” a former cabinet secretary said.


Megascope Healthcare chief executive Richard Ngatia, Abubakar Joho, Johnstone Muthama, Vimal Shah are among the few tycoons controlling politics in Kenya.