Tendepreneur Boniface Kairu is the shadowy figure named in new revelations as the local franchise holder of Dubai-based printing firm Al Ghuriar which was irregularly awarded the Ksh 2.6 billion ballot printing tender.
It has also been revealed that IEBC Chief Executive Ezra Chiloba was summoned to State House to ensure the ballot printing tender for the August poll was awarded to Dubai-based Al Ghuriar Printing company.
Al Ghuriar scandalised tender isn’t the first time the Dubai company is exposed as planning a fraud in an electoral contest.
In Zambia, the firm was last year accused of printing excess ballot papers which the regime of Edgar Lungu stuffed in military barracks and transported to his strongholds where opposition agents and observers were kicked away.
Kairu, unlike former IEBC ‘chickengate’ broker Trevvy Oyombra is not a small time wheeler dealer. He is perched right at the centre of Jubilee power, being also one of the top financiers of President Uhuru re-election.
In the recent fundraising dinner to bankroll Uhuru re-election, inside sources told Kenya Today that Kairu is among gold-plated guests who contributed more than Ksh 10 million shillings.
Several weeks before IEBC awarded the tender, he already bragged that his chosen firm – Al Ghuriar – will clinch the tender.
Also known to be a longtime boyfriend of one of the IEBC Secretariat bosses Immaculate Njenge-Kassait who is betrothed to embattled Baringo Speaker William ‘warlord’ Kamket who was recently investigated over banditry in the region, Kairu’s word is law in the current IEBC.
Together with IEBC Vice Chair Consolata Buccha Maina, Commissioner Boya Molu (Duale hireling), Milcah Chebosis (whose job Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga personally lobbied), and IEBC consultant Peninah Mureithi, Kairu has ensured IEBC is hollowed out on all integrity provisions.
As the CEO of Radisson Blu Hotel, Kairu is said to be offering free lunch services to Jubilee Headquarters and select IEBC commissioners, who patronise his hotel almost on a daily basis.
Radisson Blu was in 2015 at the centre of a billion shilling scam as it was revealed that its majority owner, former Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau had used proceeds of inflated cost of SGR to construct it to completion in two short years.
Kamau is said to be an uncle to Kairu.
The hotel is among prime assets EACC investigations had stumbled upon before quick changes were introduced at the commission, including summarily firing the commissioners, which scuttled any chance of its repossession.
ODM Leader Raila Odinga yesterday revealed Al Ghuriar has local franchise holder “who hold known partisan political positions in the contest ahead”.
