Though former Jubilee Party vice chairman David Murathe masquerades as Mr Clean, investigations show he is one of the most corrupt people in Kenya who should be rotting at Kamiti Maximum Prison.
Besides minting millions of shillings by dropping the name of President Uhuru Kenyatta, the daily intoxicated Murathe has also stolen from ordinary people who he pretends to speak for.
Those who have fallen prey to Murathe’s cunning ways include Chinese investors, who have had to part with millions of shillings to secure contracts from the government.
Most of the Chinese investors are now crying foul after they parted with the money but failed to secure any contract.
To facilitate the conning, Murathe has printed business cards indicating he is the President’s Special Adviser on Economic Affairs.
But when one googles at the Presidency, Murathe’s name does not appear among the President’s advisers on economy. Neither has there been any gazette notice or presidential directive appointing him to the docket.
Murathe, according to our investigations, in 2003 registered a company called Memory Computers to supply computers to both the government and private sector. His partner in the business was Mr Wahinya, currently city Pangani Member of the County Assembly (MCA).
Murathe went ahead to secure a Sh50 million loan from the bank to expand the business. He also took money from customers on the pretext he would supply them with computers and other accessories.
But as fate would have it, the business collapsed largely due to Murathe’s carefree attitude, where he used the loan money to entertain women and carouse day and night.
Murathe kept his business partner, Wahinya on the dark while venturing into this nocturnal activities.
Wahinya was shocked when he saw clients lining up at the company’s offices demanding their money back. To date, Murathe and Wahinya do not see eye to eye.
On sensing danger, Murathe closed the offices and started playing hide and seek with the creditors.
In 2005, he filed for bankruptcy after being unable to pay the Sh50 million debt and today he has not bothered to repay the debt despite making millions of shillings.
To ensure creditors do not get hold of his accounts, Murathe registered offshore companies which he use to hide the loot from Chinese and other investors.
The former Jubilee Party vice chairman also drops the name of Uhuru’s younger brother, Muhoho Kenyatta, to intimidate those who demand their money back.
It is time Muhoho got to know his name is being misused by Murathe, who claims he can also call the president anytime, be it during the day or night.
Murathe, who lives at Garden Estate in Nairobi hosts the Chinese and other investors at the residence where roast meat and drinks, particularly Jameson, are in plenty. He is known to coerce senior government officials, particularly Principal Secretaries, to attend the meetings to show the investors how highly connected he is. During the meetings, Murathe pretends to receive a call from the President instructing him to give a tender. This is meant to dupe the investors, as the call is mostly made by a well-known wheal dealer who he has saved in his phone as UK (Uhuru Kenyatta). He employs this tactic to also coerce the Principal Secretaries.
One of the senior government officials who was duped using this tactic was Jane Waikenda, then Director of Immigration.
Murathe went to his office and told her he had instructions from the President to give work permits to foreigners. This was at the time hundreds of foreigners were complaining that their permits were being cancelled by immigration officials and issued to others.
Waikenda went ahead to give the foreigners the work permits, believing Murathe had been sent by Uhuru.
It later dawned on her it was a lie when she was arrested over corruption though Murathe had assured her that she would not be touched by anybody.
A shocked Waikenda was rushed to hospital after she collapsed at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) compound where she was being taken for grilling over irregular issuance of work permits to foreigners.
Back to Murathe, he is known to carry with him a picture of him with Chinese ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa during celebrations to mark the 66th Anniversary of the founding of the People Republic of China at his Nairobi residence.
The picture helps him to dupe his Chinese investors that he is close to their government.
Concerned
Kenyan
