By Faith Nyambeki
Politics has no loyalty. Friends turn to foes and vice versa depending on their vested interest. It was never imagined that Uhuru would play game with opposition chief Raila Odinga and ditch his deputy William Ruto. The oil that seems to lubricate this political treachery is one David Murathe. He is a seasoned politician who seems to be at the right place at the right time. Apart from politics, the former Gatanga MP is a loving father and an astute businessman. Here is the biography of the man causing political jitters in DP Ruto’s camp.
Age
The politician was born in 1958. His father is the late William Gatuhi Murathe, a well known wealthy Thika businessman who owned Murathe Wines & Spirits. The senior murathe died in April 2017.
Education
Murathe is an alumni of Nairobi school and not St Mary’s School, Nairobi as reported by a section of the media. He went on to join the University of Nairobi where he studied political science.
Family
The political strategist is married to Faith Murathe. His daughter Waturi Murathe was married in 2009 to Ernest Wakhusama. Waturi is a research analyst. Of the Jubilee Party vice chairman children, June Tuto is the most visible one thanks to her flashy lifestyle. She is a fashion designer who studies in Marabella, Spain.
Career
Politics flowed in the bloodstream of Murathe since his days at the University of Nairobi. He was among the students who were detained albeit briefly after the botched 1982 coup. The well connected politician went on to clinch the Gatanga constituency seat in the 1997 general election on a Social Democratic Party (SDP) ticket after trouncing Royal Media owner SK Macharia. What is best remembered of his stint as the Gatanga MP is when he resigned from his seat only to make a hasty retreat. It was claimed at the time that he had sold his seat for kes10 million to SK Macharia.
He lost his seat in 2002 to Peter Kenneth throwing him into oblivion before he resurfaced as an important cog in Kenyan succession politics. Murathe’s relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta was cemented when the latter served as the Finance minister in 2007. The Jubilee vice chair was his aide and the two frequented Thika Blue Post hotel.
President Uhuru Kenyatta unofficial spokesman
The political bad blood between Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy was brought to the fore by Murathe. He has no kind words for the DP and he has made this clear on different occasions. The JP vice chair told a leading media of Ruto stab to the presidency in 2022:
“If you have led with Uhuru for two terms, what else do you want? We don’t know someone who will guard us but we know someone who will break us. We will take someone who will safeguard Mt Kenya.”
Although many dismissed his sentiments, he has come to be vilified after the Head of state elbowed his DP and the bromance they once shared was replaced by an icy relationship.
Businesses
In 2005, Murathe was battling auctioneers and to save his skin he filed for bankruptcy over a kes50 million loan. His fortunes have since changed and he doesn’t have to look over his shoulders anymore. In an article published in the Standard newspaper, Murathe is painted as a wheeler dealer who survives on ‘Brokerage fees’ and ‘facilitation fees’ for deals to the tune of billions. He is the go-between person between the Chinese aficionados and the government.
The JP vice chairman resides in the posh Garden Estate.
Wish Uhuru To Extend His Term
Murathe stated that he wished the President would have extended his in power akin to what happened in Russia. Sharing his views on KTN, the straight shooting Jubilee Party vice chairman stated:
“Some of us could have wished he stayed a bit longer. We could have done a Putin for example how they do it in Russia, (where he becomes) the President, then Prime Minister flips again, but it cannot happen because you cannot expect Uhuru under this new dispensation to run for the MP for Gatundu South.
Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) scandal
The man who is seemingly never far away from scandals denied any involvement in the KEMSA scandal. Murathe distanced himself stating that he was only a bank guarantor to a friend who was doing business with KEMSA. He went on to say that he was offended to be labelled a covid billionaire when he had not even supplied a single mask.
“I have not supplied not even a single mask or any PPE, now my relatives think I am a covid billionaire. This title has given me much trouble because now everyone is calling me to lend them money”, he told the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee.
Net Worth
Rough estimates puts Murathe’s net worth at kes500 million.
