MEET JANE MBUTHIA, POWERFUL WOMAN BEHIND GOVERNOR WA IRIA’S GRAFT-TAINTED ADMINISTRATION

 

Governor Francis Maingi Mwangi 

She is the common denominator in the awards of lucrative contracts in Murang’a County Government. She is Muranga’s “Miss Fix-it”. Her name features in every business deal or political move made by Governor Francis Maingi Mwangi, popularly known as Mwangi Wa Iria. She is feared and loathed by many members of staff in Murang’a County government as well as suppliers and contractors. Though she occupies no formal office within the ranks of Murang’a County government, her power and influence has no boundaries prompting those who dislike her to nickname her “First Lady” 

Those we spoke to talked of a bossy lady, shrewd operator who loves to pull the strings behind the scenes. She loves dancing behind the tent, not in the open arena, figuratively speaking! You cross her line and the Governor will come for your neck. Many people have lost jobs or tenders courtesy of their conflict with Jane Mbuthia. Being in her good books is enough to fast track your pending payment. She has maximized this closeness and trust by demanding for hefty cuts, for herself and on behalf of her boss which have seen her become extremely wealthy. She now owns palatial homes in Murang’a as well as Nairobi alongside several top of the range fuel guzzlers.

Jane Mbuthia

During the ugly and violence-ridden Jubilee Party primaries in 2017, she spent sleepless nights to ensure Wa Iria trounced his bitter opponent, Jamleck Kamau. She moved around with briefcases of cash that she would dish out to Wa iria’s campaign agents and supporters.

Journalist turned business lady; Jane Mbuthia is the face of Governor Wa Iria – both in his business as well as political deals. She is the most trusted. The two worked together in New KCC whereby Wa Iria was the CEO/MD while Mbuthia worked as PR Manager.

So trusted and entrusted with the governor’s engagements such that her proximity to the County boss has always been a source of marital conflict between Wai iria and his spouse Jane, an employee of National Bank of Kenya (NBK).

Jane Mbuthia doubles up as National Treasurer of Civic Renewal Party (CRP) whose founder and “Sponsor” is Governor Wa Iria. Mbuthi’s company “Top Image Media Consultancy Limited” enjoys near-exclusive rights over media, communication, PR, Events, marketing and advertising portfolio of Murang’a County government since 2013 when Wa Iria became governor. 

She has a covert mandate to vet individuals and companies wishing to do business with Murang’a County government. Those firms that pass her test are used as a strategic conduit to award tenders to the governor’s preferred bidders. Once your firm passes this “informal test” you are assured to access contracts worth millions of shillings and payment promptly paid. It is a complex web of corruption that is well orchestrated to achieve a certain goal – enrich the governor and his cronies! 

Jane Mbuthia was once almost shot at by one Peter Macharia Kubai of BENISA Construction Ltd after she went to his office demanding for 25M kickbacks regarding a construction contract the company was executing. Thereafter a bitter exchange followed between Wa Iria and BENISA proprietor prompting the governor to “purportedly” cancel all pending payments to the firm. BENISA Ltd was only paid after its proprietor stormed Wa Iria’s office brandishing a pistol and accompanied by hired goons. 

Born 56 years ago on August 28 to peasant parents in Kahuro Sub-county of Murang’a County, Wa Iria owes it all to Jane Mbuthia. Equity founder Peter Munga recalls how he once employed Wa Iria as CEO of his Freshco Seeds Ltd and fails to understand how the struggling Wa Iria amassed billions of shillings in such a short time from his salary as County governor. 

It is imperative to recall that the duo was fired from New KCC over allegations of corruption by Kibaki government. Then Cooperatives Minister Joe Njagah once accused him of misleading President Mwai Kibaki to believe that New KCC was commercially dead so that it could be sold to strategic investors, who it turned out were businessmen close to Wa Iria and Jane Mbuthia. Upon being briefed by the intelligence, Wa Iria was fired alongside his sidekick who was a junior report at Capital FM before landing a managerial position at New KCC.