Insider reports within Northlands City, the expansive, privately owned urban mega-development spanning over 11,000 acres in Ruiru and backed by the Kenyatta family, have shed light on what appears to be a troubling pattern of internal financial irregularities and employee exploitation, casting a shadow over one of Kenya’s most high-profile real estate ventures.
Northlands City, which has been marketed as a model of modern, sustainable urban living complete with residential zones, commercial hubs, and conservation areas, is now under scrutiny after allegations surfaced pointing to systemic abuse of workers by elements within its administrative structure.
At the center of the controversy is a senior human resources official who is accused of orchestrating widespread payroll manipulation, including unexplained deductions from employee payslips, some amounting to tens of thousands of shillings per month, as well as withholding legally entitled overtime and holiday pay.
Sources suggest that employees who question the inconsistencies often face intimidation, verbal abuse, and threats of dismissal, creating an atmosphere of fear and compliance.
The malpractice allegedly extends beyond employee compensation into procurement processes, where inflated costs for infrastructure and supplies are reportedly being used as conduits for embezzlement.
For instance, one structure resembling a basic guard house, reportedly equivalent in build to a mobile toilet, was allegedly quoted internally at an exaggerated price of KSh 10 million, raising serious questions about financial oversight and accountability.
Further complicating the situation is the reported existence of an internal cartel operating within the administrative offices, said to be working in coordination with this HR official to siphon resources, falsify records, and suppress internal complaints.
At the heart of this system is a company known as Enke, reportedly tasked with managing the financial affairs of the Kenyatta family estate and staffed primarily by accountants.
While the official oversight of the estate is said to rest with an aging foreign director, it is alleged that key local operatives have exploited his limited day-to-day involvement to carry out unchecked financial and administrative misconduct.
“Hello Nyakundi. Please highlight this. I work at Northlands. There’s an HR by the name Philomena Mukono stealing from the company and stealing from employees. End-month payslips always have some amount missing and in some cases, utapata 15k imeenda hivo tu and when you follow up, she takes you in circles while being rude and threatening to fire you. She also pockets weekend overtime pay and holiday pay. Workers are even afraid to go on leave because she slashes more than half of their pay. There’s a cartel she works with huko kwa ofisi. They steal from employees and siphon funds by exaggerating the cost of things e.g. last month walibuy guard house inatoshana those mobile toilets and they quoted it at 10 million. There’s a company called Enke at Northlands. This company handles all the Kenyatta family finances. Basically ni kampuni ya accountants tupu. Philomena is their HR. The director of the Kenyatta family estate works there too but ni mzungu and he is old. Sasa Philomena and the rest take advantage of this.”
These revelations are likely to stir public and industry concern, especially considering the scale, visibility, and strategic importance of Northlands City in Kenya’s future urban and infrastructural landscape.
As construction progresses and more stakeholders (public and private) become tied to the project’s economic ecosystem, questions are now being asked about internal controls, governance standards, and whether institutional safeguards exist to protect workers and the public interest from mismanagement.
We are closely monitoring developments within the Northlands project and will be publishing further updates as more details emerge from ongoing internal disclosures and whistleblower reports.
If you are an employee, contractor, or stakeholder with additional information or documentation regarding these or related issues at Northlands, we encourage you to reach out confidentially through our social media channels and help shine a light on misconduct that could compromise the integrity of one of Kenya’s most high-profile developments.
