By Isaac Blessings
The 2022 general election that will be conducted in August is going to be very competitive given the caliber of hopefuls going for the various elective positions. From lawyers, businessmen, CEOs, entrepreneurs and celebrities, these individuals have decided to try their luck in the murky waters of politics.
In this article, WoK brings you the full list of the wealthiest individuals running for various political seats in the forthcoming elections.
Jimi Wanjigi
Immediately you think of the wealthiest people eyeing political seats in this year’s elections, the first name that comes to mind is Jimi Wanjigi. Wanjigi is running for the presidential seat under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket where he is expected to face tough competition from the party leader, the honorable former prime minister Raila Amolo Odinga. Wanjigi is a billionaire and a renowned businessman and tenderpreneur. He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kwacha Group of Companies – a private company with interests in agribusiness, real estate, development, mining, financial services and banking.
Richard Ngatia
Richard Ngatia is a close confidant of President Uhuru Kenyatta and will be vying for the Nairobi county gubernatorial seat under the ‘Azimio la Umoja’ umbrella. Ngatia is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Megascope Healthcare limited – a major corporate player in the healthcare industry not only in Kenya but across Africa. Apart from the health care sector, the billionaire owns the famous Galileo lounge located in Westlands along Waiyaki way. He is the current president of Kenya National Chambers of Commerce (KNCC) a position he has been serving since 2019. He is also the Chairman of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region – Private Sector Forum – IGGLR – PSF, deputy patron Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Association, board member of East Africa Chamber of Commerce, Industry and agriculture and also a Trustee of PERAK.
Also Read: Billionaire Richard Ngatia: President Uhuru Kenyatta Close Confidante Who Owns Galileo Lounge
Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop
Zedekiah Kiprop Bundotich famously known as Buzeki will be vying for the Uasin Gishu county gubernatorial seat for the second time in a row. Although not confirmed yet, he is expected to vie for the seat under the ‘Azimio la Umoja’ umbrella which is associated with President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. He is the owner of Buzeki limited – a logistics company with subsidiaries across East and Central Africa. Apart from the transport industry, the billionaire also has interests in the milk processing and agribusiness sectors.
Steve Mbogo
Steve Mbogo is a Nairobi-based politician who is known for flaunting his flamboyant lifestyle to the public. The young man who is a close friend to Jimi Wanjigi will be vying for the Starehe Constituency parliamentary seat for the second time under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket. In a past interview, Mbogo revealed that he runs an aviation company, flight training academy at Wilson Airport, manages two law firms and three stock brokerage companies at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, 6 night clubs in Nakuru, 2 insurance companies in Uganda, owns 12 4-star hotels and a mining company.
Also Read: The Richest Senators In Kenya
Alan Chesang
Alan Chesang is a renowned businessman in the petroleum sector. He will be vying for the Trans Nzoia county senatorial seat under the United Democratic Alliance – a party associated with Deputy president William Ruto. In an interview with Felix Odiwuor on Jalang’o TV Youtube channel, Chesang revealed that he made his first 1 million while in form 1 while playing table tennis representing the country in international competitions. He is the Group managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Transcentury Global limited – a company that deals in private equity, credit, insurance and real estate. He is also the leading supplier of LPG in the Rift Valley and Western regions. He owns a chain of night clubs under the brand name ‘Club Blend’ and ‘The Garage club’ in Thika.
Suleiman Shahbal
Suleiman Shahbal is a well-known tycoon from the coastal region of Kenya. He will be joining politics this year and vying for the Mombasa County gubernatorial seat to replace the incumbent Governor Ali Hassan Joho famously known as ‘001.’ Shahbal who recently ditched the Ruling party Jubilee is expected to contest the position in an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket where he is expected to face tough competition in the nominations from Mvita Constituency Member of Parliament Abdulswamad Sheriff. Shabal is the man behind the famous Gulf Energy limited which he later sold to Rubis Energy in 2019. He currently owns Gulf power – a power plant based in Athi River and is the owner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gulf African Bank.
