Who really is Chris Kirubi, the sultan of swag?

Kirubi is surely a man of many hats.The flamboyant business man is known for his 49% stake in Haco tiger brands as well as majority a majority share holder at equity investment firm centum and UAP insurance group. The man is also said to have studied in Western Kenya, he said to have created his wealth from scratch. He bought old dilapidated buildings in Nairobi, then renovated them, he later sold the buildings to make profit, which I bet was large. And that my friends is how the billion dollar journey started. Right now the man owns International house in the centre of Nairobi.
Little is known about his family, therefore little is said. He is 72,he must have a family in between somewhere, "rumours" have it that he had a wife and divorced. He is also said to have children, obviously. Chris is however said to be popular among young clandestine. Not bad for a guy who got it all.
Just few days ago Kirubi was hosted at the popular talk show Jeff Koinange Live where among other things really showed his other side to Kenyans, the old man even cursed on national TV, but we all do that all the time, Kirubi is cool like that. Did I just call the Sultan of swag old man?
So who really is Chris Kirubi? He has his hands on literally everything. Just recently he disposed his 5.5 million  Safaricom shares shares. Many would wonder why anyone would sale shares from a company known to make the highest profit in the region. When asked, Kirubi answered that KCB share prices were good and so he cashed in. I mean just like that and you sell and buy? He further  added that he employs an active trading strategy at the NSE. In the transaction he is said to have made Sh.38 million profit. He is not a gambler. In the interview he insisted that numbers do not lie, more reason why he makes millions everyday.
He owns the DHL franchise in Kenya, Capital FM, which is among the most popular radio stations in Kenya and is also known for its upmarket listeners so the adverts in the station are not cheap, at all.
Recently he has been on the spotlight because of his trips abroad with the head of state, mainly because of his amazing skills in cutting and making investment deals. He has been to china, South Africa and more recently the USA for the African summit. Odd don't you think that Kirubi has been in the headlines for securing government tenders.More recently being awarded the coal power tender which was about 174 billion through investment firm Centum where he is a majority shareholder.
That put him at a sharp crossroads with lawyers Fred Ngatia and Ahmed Nassir aka The Grand Mulla. When asked about this Kirubi replied to Jeff telling him that a tender is only good when you win it and bad when you lose. He also is said to have merged with a Chinese company to supply the said jubilee laptops. It is no secret Kirubi has used his influence to secure government contracts, he has discovererd a new niche to make quick money.
Did I forget to mention how the tycoon has a lot of praise for the head of state? He and Jeff though they were not campaigning for the president it is too obvious he has full admiration for the man, I bet that did just win him another major tender. You can watch the clip here.
However this big entrepreneur is not exactly all clean as we'd think, get me wrong not, his business deals are not what I mean. "I don't know they're clean or not".
Kirubi has headed large government corporations and brought them down to their knees. Kenatco, a company started in the 70s to offer logistics solutions to traders in the jomo regime. It is said that it is was under his leadership that greedy politicians used the company to smuggle coffee in out of the country, does black gold ring a bell? Did he smuggle? He however became an instant millionaire.
Kenatco was placed under receivership after it failed to service its loans, in short, it became bankrupt. Sixteen years later Kenatco is still under receivership. According to mavulture, at one time it was sayed in parliament that the company's Mercedes limousines were sold for a meagre Sh 500, yes you read right, 500.
As if that is not enough, the Sultan of swag made sure he brought Uchumi down too, well don't know if it was intentional or not, but it just does not get down with me that a company can collapse in the hands of Kenya's leading investor, not one, but two companies. Could it have been he was given a better deal? Or just an unfortunate occurrence, fraud?  He however answered fraud charges in the courts.
He is said to have sold the Uchumi house, located at the Aga Khan walk for a mere 147 million ,a building which was worth more than 400 million. That was not enough, after selling, Uchumi was to pay a monthly rent of a whooping 1.7 million. It does take a fool to tell what was happening there.
Something was cooking.
Well what can I say, that is Forbes'(2011) 31st richest man in Africa for you.
#GoBigOrGoHome

This man, Tony Gachoka

Tony Gachoka is a man of many titles. Activist, self-proclaimed political strategist, media consultant, the list is endless.
This is a man you can not wish away. Ask the mother, I am told he was cursed after he used the family coffee plantation to secure a loan in order to start a business which only did well just in the early periods of inception.
Even his young sister Ciku Muiruri,I hear was mad at him after the bank came calling, wanting to auction the piece of land.
But who is Gachoka? This man is easily connected to everyone, including the president. They have history by the way.
So he even helped Ciku get a job in the Uhuru Kenyatta dream team in the campaign team, she was virtual head of media team, if my memory serves me right.
One would wonder, how did Tony get up there? Trust you me, there is a mystery around this man that no one seems to get  right, but one thing is a fact, he is up there, the man is on top of his league I tell you.
Does it matter how he got up there? That is you to decide, however opportunity comes to everyone, difference is how you go about it. Don't be too ambitious, compose yourself and go for it.
A friend once told me to always go where the grass is greener, meaning that where you are the grass might be green but if you see healthier and greener grass, why not?
In the 2007 elections, TG, as he is popularly known, was Raila Odinga's confidante, courtesy of Mama Ngilu they say. He was in the wagon probably because he was sure of Odinga's victory. But he dropped after, after gathering all nailing evidence that Raila had a role to play in the PEV, which I don't think it was significant, that was probably to seduce Uhuru.
But sure he got a job as a campaign strategist, he probably is something in state house right now.
By the way Gachoka and Uhuru have history. In the late 80s and early 90s, when Gachoka had just started his paper sunday post, which was more of an expose by the way. His contacts with Gideon Moi helped him big time. That's  how he met Uhuru, and they clicked right away. Mind you, he enjoyed trips to S.A with the first family during those weekends.
So when someone says that it is Ngilu who fixed him in the jubilee alliance, I wonder.
Listening to Tony Gachoka on n Jeff Koinange Live, I wouldn't help myself but just marvel with admiration .
He even became my Shujaa right away.
With the determination of a buffalo, his voice roaring like a lion, with valour inherited from a legend probably Waiyaki, I could see an older me. He is a great debator, he is an asset to Uhuruto, problem is his loyalty can't be predicted. He could be working for you, while scheming only to backstab you after he leaves.
But he inspires me, personally.