Controversial business tycoon Richard Ngatia’s aspirations to be the next City Hall boss have been dealt a huge blow after former Prime Minister Raila Odinga pulled an unexpected move in publicly endorsing a rival candidate for the position.
Addressing a rally on Sunday, 30th January 2021 in Kawangware, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader declared Westlands Member of Parliament Timothy Wanjohi as his preferred option for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat.
“Tuko hapa na Gavana mtarajiwa wa Nairobi Tim Wanyonyi,” Raila roared to the crowd as he introduced a list of national leaders who had accompanied him to the urban neighbourhood.
This latest development is bound to hit Ngatia as a major surprise since the affluent President for Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) had heavily desired to fly the Azimio La Umoja flag in the upcoming August poll.
The disgraced CEO of Megascope Limited who was heavily linked to the Sh63 billion COVID-19 medical contracts scandal had been unanimously fronted by a group of Kikuyu elites under the Mt Kenya Foundation as an exchange gift for their endorsement of Raila Odinga’s presidential aspirations.
His candidature initially elicited mixed reactions from the public as the wealthy magnate with a sprawling business empire stretching beyond the country’s borders became one of the most discussed personalities on social media.
Although he tried hard to rebrand himself as just an ordinary investor in the medical and hospitality industry, the stink from his past sins simply refused to go away.
Most notably, in September last year, a report by the Senate revealed that his Megascope company was part of a rip-off conceived like a criminal enterprise as it was awarded over Sh1 billion contract by KEMSA for the supply of personal protective equipment.
It also got a tender for the supply of SV300 ventilators at Sh165 million and a Sh35 million deal to supply KN95 mask at Sh700 each.
The scandal triggered national outrage that saw the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) summon many top dogs close to power as it sought to uncover the rot.
But to those who have keenly followed Ngatia’s life, this did not entirely come as much of a surprise.
There exists common knowledge to many insiders that over the last decade, Ngatia has been on the hunt to bag most if not all of the lucrative tenders under the Ministry of Health.
Megascope has also been a key provider of healthcare equipment leasing for county governments.
The company supplies, installs, trains personnel, commissions and maintains healthcare equipment.
To put it into better perspective, Megascope maintains 98 per cent of theatre equipment in 219 operating rooms of 115 government hospitals.
His influence within the corridors of power grew so high that when a new Cabinet Secretary in the name of Mutahi Kagwe took over and tried to ‘clean’ up the rotten corridors of the state department by instigating the transfers of officers at Afya House, he faced heavy opposition even from junior staff.
Kagwe would be seen angrily calling out unnamed people at Afya house for being very corrupt but what many did not understand is that the crooked cartel was led by Mr Ngatia himself.
