A storm is brewing after revelations that Members of Parliament on the Transport and Investment Committee allegedly pocketed Ksh 10 million from senior Bulkstream officials to alter a parliamentary report.
According to sources, the money was channeled through Benjamin Tayari, who allegedly handed it to MPs on behalf of Bulkstream.
Those mentioned include Somomom Ondego, his personal assistant Tony Lithimbi, security head Abdi, and newly recruited staffer Abdi Dayib, who has threatened to expose the corruption scheme.
Dayib’s name has been repeatedly tied to controversy.
Reports from Mombasa’s business circles describe him as more than a low-level staffer, portraying him as a close associate of Bulkstream’s owner, tycoon Mohammed Jaffer.
He is said to have built influence through manipulation of media narratives, suppression of negative publicity, and orchestrating rivalries inside the company.
In fact, insiders claim he has previously demanded as much as Ksh 500,000 to silence damaging stories about the firm, while also maneuvering for greater power within Bulkstream.
If you missed our previous coverage of Abdi Daib’s controversial rise and influence in Mombasa, you can read the full story here.
Inside the Rise of Abdi Daib: The Controversial Power Broker Behind Business Feuds in Mombasa
Bulkstream Entangled in Ksh 1.8 Billion Land Tussle
The bribery allegations emerge as Bulkstream battles a Ksh 1.8 billion court case involving the National Land Commission.
The funds were irregularly paid to Mombasa tycoon Mohammed Jaffer through his firm Miritini Free Port Ltd for land in Jomvu, Mombasa.
President William Ruto recently ordered investigations into parliamentary committees over rising corruption claims, adding weight to the allegations.
On July 4, 2024, Justice Ogla Sewe extended interim court orders in the land compensation case, stating that she had not completed her ruling earlier set for June.
Court records indicate squatters displaced in 1996 were denied compensation, while Jaffer’s firm was paid billions under questionable directives from former NLC chair Mohammed Swazuri.
The squatters, Theresia Runji, Marietta Gitonga, Naomi Kiio, and Sammy Kara, maintain they hold the original title deed and insist the land was illegally grabbed and transferred through fraudulent transactions before ending up with Jaffer.
Tycoon Jaffer in Multiple Fraud Battles
In addition to the land scandal, Jaffer, the proprietor of Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd, is battling another high-stakes fraud case.
Importer Atta Kenya Ltd has accused Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd of colluding with a sister company, Grain Industries Ltd, to auction off its wheat stock at throwaway prices, resulting in Ksh 730 million in losses.
Court filings show that in 2017, Beyond Auctioneers sold more than 13,000 metric tonnes of wheat stored at Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd silos to Grain Industries in a controversial sale riddled with irregularities.
Atta Kenya alleges Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd and Grain Industries Ltd share shareholders and orchestrated the deal to benefit themselves at the importer’s expense.
During hearings before Justice Florence Macharia, Grain Bulk Handlers Ltd officials struggled to justify why they rushed to auction the wheat even though Atta Kenya had undertaken to settle accrued storage charges. Questions also arose over why 18 trucks from Grain Industries collected wheat before the official auction date.
Pattern of Corporate Manipulation
The unfolding scandals reveal a troubling picture of corruption, corporate manipulation, and political interference, with one of Kenya’s most influential businessmen, Mohammed Jaffer, at the centre.
The cases, spanning bribery of MPs, fraudulent land deals, and questionable grain auctions, are expected to intensify public debate on Parliament and state institutions tasked with oversight.
The hearings continue.
