Outspoken economist David Ndii on Sunday, January 19, disclosed details of a time when he rejected a prospective appointment by former President Mwai Kibaki.
The celebrated economist revealed on Twitter that he had been pursued by the late Alex Muriithi, President Kibaki's nephew and a well-known power broker who interested Ndii in becoming the head of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
Ndii, in the long narration on his social media accounts, opined that political appointments in the country were for the most part informed by political alliances, and that was why many appointees were used as puppets by those in power.
Ndii was talking in reference to Education CS George Magoha's move to revoke the appointment of the new University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Stephen Kiama on January 18, 2020.
"Years ago, the late Alex Muriithi, Kibaki’s nephew/powerbroker sounded me out for CBK Governor. We met for coffee at Serena, where he intimated why we needed “mundu witu” (our person) there. I wasn’t receptive. My friend Ndiritu Muriithi was upset with me. That's how it works," he narrated.
Alex Muriithi, who had been referring to himself as Alex wa Kibaki, was an extremely well-connected individual in the Kibaki government before his death from cancer in 2007.
According to a report by the Daily Nation in 2016, Alex was the first man to make contact with former Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi when he wanted to mend the relationship between Kenya and Libya that had been ruined by Moi's regime.
"Gaddafi had hoped to spread his might into Kenya, and several other African countries, using Libya Arab African Investment Company, known by its acronym Laico. That way, he could spread his financial tentacles across the continent in return for political backing," Daily Nation reported on February 6, 2016.
Muriithi was tasked with delivering the letter from State House to show Kenya's interest in the projects set to be launched by the then extremely powerful Gulf leader.
Murithi's hand would also be seen on July 28, 2006, when he allegedly engineered a deal that saw the Youth Enterprise Development Fund grant a Ksh300 million loan to a Canadian non-governmental organisation identified as Enablis Entrepreneurial Network.
Three managers of the fund took the fall for the entire scandal despite orders having come across from Muriiithi, whose word was the president's, the Daily Nation reported in 2009.
In 2018, State House Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi also made claims that soon after Kibaki's government came to power, he was approached by Muriithi who seemed keen on offering him a job in government.
“What most people don’t know is that I actually worked in the Kibaki campaign of 2002. There was a Vijana na Kibaki (Youth standing with Kibaki ) team but I was in the main secretariat.
“There is this guy called Alex Mureithi, he’s late now, and he was a nephew to the president. The day Kibaki won the election, he brought us a letter appointing us to the then Presidential Press Service with a salary of Ksh70,000,” he stated on Chipukeezy Show on Ebru TV.
Itumbi, together with KTN journalist Dennis Onsarigo, narrated how they were dismayed to later discover that the letters were fake and Muriithi unreachable on phone.
