This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
Kenyan police are investigating allegations of drug trafficking against tycoon Ali Punjani, who is believed to have funded campaigns for top politicians during the 2017 elections.
According to K24 TV, documents recovered from Punjani's palatial house in Nyali, Mombasa during a raid by police officers on Wednesday showed that he spent millions of shillings to fund politicians.
Among those allegedly bankrolled by Punjani were two presidential candidates, 10 governors, and dozens of MPs and MCAs, K24 TV reported.
Police officers who participated in the raid described Punjani as 'well connected' and '100 years ahead in terms of planning', with thousands of sketches of his plans.
They also found Nepalese and Indian nationals inside the house, who were later released by a Mombasa court over lack of evidence linking them to the drugs trade.
Punjani is currently hospitalized in India after undergoing heart surgery, and is believed to be a close ally of the Akasha brothers, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in the United States last year.
Interestingly, in 2013, Punjani was among members of the Mombasa business community who donated a fleet of 19 police patrol vehicles to Mombasa County government to help in the fight against insecurity.
