Politics in Kenya has always grown to have a bad taste to it among the population. It is marked by deep rooted corruption, unfairness and several social ills. It is no doubt therefore that many citizens would not believe their politicians earn their wealth through legitimate means and believe them to have acquired the same in scandalous and corrupt means. There are however several politicians whose wealth is accredited to their individual hard work and toil. In this article we will be looking at the top 10 richest politicians in Kenya and their sources of wealth.
1. Kalonzo Musyoka
The Wiper Democratic Movement Leader and the 9th Vice President of the republic of Kenya makes the list being one of the wealthiest politicians in the country. It is worth noting that he is said to be one of the most virtuous individuals who are of integrity. He is a lawyer by profession and has established a private law firm, The Musyoka Wambua Advocates.
He is also a seasoned businessman who has international investments holding shares in multinational corporations and companies, owns rental apartments, a chopper and several acres of land. He has been seen contributing in the fight against the Coronavirus Pandemic speaking out for the equitable distribution of services to all citizens. He is said to be worth 5 million dollars.
2. Ali Hassan Joho
The 001-county governor popularly referred to as the Sultan of Mombasa follows next in the list of the wealthiest politicians in the country. The governor was the Member of Parliament Kisauni before his gubernatorial victory in the devolved government. He is an educated individual holding a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Human Resource Management and several diplomas in business, logistics and Information Communication and Technology. He has spent resources investing in real estate and businesses along the coast in logistical systems and practices.
3. Ann Waiguru
Kirinyanga governor Ann Waiguru who has in the past been in hot soup in the country concerning corruption cases and abuse of office follows in the list. She has been claimed to have misappropriated up to Ksh 791 million in the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal which was under her ministry then – Ministry of Devolution.
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In a public interview, she denied the allegations stating that she was the one who actually spoke up about it when it blew up in the face of Kenyans. She says to have amassed her wealth genuinely stating that she already owned most of her assets before appointment into office from when she was the Vice President at Citi Group in the World Bank. She owns real estate along Mlolongo road and several business ventures.
4. Mike Sonko
Mike Mbuvi Gideon Kioko Sonko, Nairobi City’s governor goes next being definitely one of the richest politicians in the republic of Kenya. He has been in politics for a long time having served before as Makadara Member of Parliament. He is often seen flaunting his wealth in carrying out projects in the city saying that he spends his own money on, cladding in jewelry and seen in flashy cars.
He talks of a humble beginning and struggling to make a life for himself that he would be proud of. He has also spoken publicly about his wealth following people’s concerns that he is involved in dirty business such as drug dealership which he denies. He says to own several properties across the country owning 1000 title deeds and 150 logbooks to cars he owns.
5. Charles Njonjo
The 100-year-old ‘Duke of Kabeteshire’ makes the list being a giant in Kenyan politics and in the country’s history. Charles makes it at number 5 to our list of top 10 richest politicians in Kenya. He is a well-educated man who has traveled the world in seeking an education. He served as Attorney General in the country years back and has over the years amassed himself a considerable amount of wealth. He is the owner of Sankara hotels, owns shares in the now ABSA Bank (former Barclays) and has CMC holdings.
6. Raila Odinga
A strong figure in the Kenyan politics, Raila Amolo Odinga is one of the wealthiest politicians in the country. He has been seen as a bold figure having been sworn in as the ‘people’s president’ while the elected president was in office. He is well known for his role in opposition in the government. He attributes his wealth to his ventures in oil and gas, owning several real estate properties and his career in the political arena. He has served as minister in several ministries including Energy, Roads and Public Works and Housing.
7. William Samoei Ruto
The country’s Deputy President ranks fourth being one of the richest politicians in the country. He is popularly tagged as ‘Hustler’ following his background story as to how he climbed the ranks to his current position. He began in his Uasin Gishu home selling eggs and has grown to be one of the most powerful individuals in Kenya.
Dr. Ruto attributes his wealth to several ventures including owning the Weston Hotel valued at Ksh 2.5 billion, Sentrim 680 Hotel ownership, Oseng Property Limited and several residential properties in Nairobi. He also runs a Poultry Business in Uasin Gishu and is a major shareholder at Amaco Insurance. The 53 year old is valued at an average $400 million.
8. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta
The fourth president of Kenya ranks next being worth $500 million dollars and is ranked by Forbes as one the top 40 richest people in the continent. Uhuru Kenyatta attributes his wealth to holding shares in a Kenyan Media Company, K24, the biggest dairy company in the country, Brookside Dairies and not to mention huge tracts of land not less than 500,000 acres of fertile land.
9. Nicholas Biwott
The late Nicholas Biwott falls in the list being valued at an average $1 billion. Known as the Total Man, he took part in several ventures and was a very versatile individual. He owned Nairobi’s Yaya Center and Air Kenya. He was involved in several businesses investing in real estate and holding shares in big corporations and companies that boosted his earnings exponentially.
10. Daniel Moi and The Moi Family
The late Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi leads the list of richest Kenyan politicians and he is one of the richest individuals in the African continent. He owned huge tracts of land across the country, several schools named after him and ventures that will long continue accruing income to the family for years to come. He served in the Kenyan government as president and was one of the founding fathers of the nation.
