On Sunday, March 13, former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo stunned the country when he made an abrupt entrance at Deputy President William Ruto's rally at Thika Stadium.
While at the event, the outspoken and flamboyant politician made some astonishing remarks and officially endorsed the DP as his presidential aspirant of choice.
"There are people saying that we are being shown the way by President Uhuru Kenyatta. That is not possible. Uhuru should go and rest. I want to declare here that I will continue to lobby on behalf of the region.
"I told Chief Hustler the other year to be careful not to wait for the seat but to go seek it out. I met William Ruto and I told him that I came to Thika to ask for permission to be an Mt Kenya representative. I told him our problem was the share of resources in the area," stated Kabogo.
What, however, caught the eye of many Kenyans was the mode of transport, an Iveco Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV) valued at Ksh20 million, that the flamboyant former county boss pulled up in.
Easily recognised as his most preferred four-wheeler, Kabogo has previously accorded President Uhuru a lift inside the cream-coloured behemoth primarily built for the military and designed to reduce the impact of explosives and landmines.
According to Iveco Defence Vehicles, the company specialising in the manufacture of military vehicles, LMV was designed with the comfort and safety of its occupants in mind.
"Crew protection was accorded particular priority, reflecting the importance of achieving mission success with the minimum of risk to personnel.
"The protection system is based on a crew cell, or citadel, with the remainder of the vehicle being configured around this central feature," read the design manual of the vehicle.
In its design, the vehicle incorporates a multi-layered floor structure designed to manage and absorb both blast and fragments from smaller mines.
The manual also indicates that the LMV roof can be adaptable to a customer's requirements and for Kabogo, he opted for a sunroof, from where he would properly address his supporters. The roof is fitted with hatches that can be opened from inside or outside.
The hardy car is also manufactured with durable materials and can operate in harsh environmental conditions including tough terrain as well as temperatures oscillating between -32°C and +49°C.
Overall, the vehicle is a permanent four-wheel drive, has an air-over-hydraulic braking system, allowing rapid braking even when heavily laden and a mechanical hand-brake allowing immediate movement when required.
A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke found that the special vehciel costs between Ksh20-30 million minus shipping charges and import taxes.
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