Ugandan Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has been questioned by Ugandan authorities in recent weeks after he flaunted his new bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser V8 on social media.
At the centre of the probe is the Mombasa businessman who sold the car to Bobi Wine. Fauz Khalid, a renowned businessman in Mvita constituency, was on the spot after reports came to light that he sold the car to the Ugandan-based politician.
The businessman admitted that he drove to Uganda to deliver the vehicle as agreed in November 2020. However, Khalid detailed that he did not anticipate the controversy that came out of his business deal with his Ugandan client.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) website showed that Khalid was the registered owner of the luxurious car. The vehicle's ownership has since changed to Bobi Wine.
Khalid confirmed that he and Bobi Wine have been long-time friends dating back to when Khalid was in school in Uganda in both secondary and tertiary education.
He revealed that he is yet to receive full payment for the car. Wine had initially taken to social media to thank his local and foreign supporters for the brand new bulletproof car
"There's another group of comrades who kick-started a fundraising campaign for a bulletproof vehicle. These comrades informed me of their plan but I thought it was an uphill task given how expensive it is.
"A few weeks ago, these comrades surprised me when they informed me that they had succeeded in raising enough money for the vehicle and here it is. I can't thank you enough," Wine wrote on his social media pages- a post that he soon pulled down.
The vehicle drew the attention of Ugandan Authorities and the Ugandan Revenue Authorities who, upon further inspection, indicated that the vehicle was erroneously cleared.
They sought to find out how the politician duped the state and erroneously undervalued the cost of the car.
A new Toyota Land cruiser costs between Ksh8 million and Ksh14 million while an armoured one can cost up to Ksh45 million depending on the features.
Born in Munz, Mvita Sub-County, Khalid has been in the logistics business for over 20 years.
In 2017, Khalid and other activists were arrested by the police after they had staged a protest lamenting the negative impact caused by the Standard Gauge Railway(SGR) on traders in Mombasa. The directive was issued by Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who had ordered all port cargo to be rerouted from the road to the SGR.
"That is a very draconian policy and it has affected businesses at all levels here in Mombasa and even in Ukambani," Khalid stated after been released from Central Police Station in Mombasa.
Further, the businessman was also lauded for his community activities after he brought to light a situation involving a social media user who had aided her childhood friend recover from years of drug addiction and living on the streets.
Alluding to the passion to help the community, the businessman has expressed interest in vying for the Mvita Parliamentary seat in the upcoming 2022 general elections.
