Evans Kidero is a former Nairobi Governor and a business magnate with investments in the real estate sector, commercial buildings and other unidentified businesses. His net worth was estimated at over Ksh9 billion in 2018 by investigative agencies.
Kidero owns over 11 high-end vehicles, Yala Towers in Nairobi and hundreds of acres of land worth billions of shilling. He also owns 50 rental units on Riara Road and luxury serviced apartments (GemSuites) at Riverside, Muthaiga and near State House.
The GemSuites apartments are fully furnished, serviced executive apartments, managed to the most exacting international standards. They are equipped with well-appointed finishes and amenities familiar with a five-star class hotel, with the comfort, space and privacy of a home.
GemSuites’ fully serviced one and two-bedroom apartments attract foreigners and the wealthy who part with Ksh540,000 per month as rental charges, minus room service, food and entertainment. The hotel was once in the spotlight in a row pitting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nephew Jomo Gecaga who sought to block his eviction from the lavish apartment over rental arrears.
GemSuites Riverside was awarded the best hotel development award by Africa Property Investment. The apartments are located in three locations in Nairobi; near State House, Riverside, and Muthaiga. The properties have state-of-the-art swimming pools complete with poolside bars for a drink as one enjoys their stay at Gemsuite. Additionally, residents have at their disposal chauffeured car services, gymnasiums, spas, world-class conference rooms, VIP transport to and from airports, and shuttles to ferry residents to the Central Business District.
Those interested in living in the apartments, pay Ksh 540,000 monthly rent acceptable in dollars. Alternatively, the apartments are open for short-term renting going for eight hours. To stay in a one-bedroom unit between 0900 hrs and 1700hrs, clients part with Ksh 9,500. Kidero’s other prime operational ventures include Gem Investments, Gem Apartments, Orro Limited, and Argenti Limited.
Kidero’s properties have received criticism for being acquired during his tenure in office. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) opened investigations on how the politician acquired the property during his tenure in office.
A few weeks ago, the court dismissed Kidero’s petition to stop the anti-graft body from prosecuting him over allegations of embezzlement in a KES 58 million Nairobi City graft case. The three-judge bench ruled that Kidero failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claim that proceeding with the legal suit would infringe his right to a fair trial. The court also stated that it was not in the public interest to stay the proceedings.
EACC seeks to recover KES 14.4 million from Kidero and 15 others over the irregular payment of funds to a law firm for legal services. The commission alleges that Kidero benefited from the unaccounted KES 58 million paid for services not rendered to City Hall. The ruling has sparked a debate among Kenyans who raised questions about the selective application of the judicial system.
Despite the ruling, Kidero’s legal battle with the anti-graft commission is not yet over, and the case is expected to proceed to the court for a full hearing. EACC has welcomed the ruling, stating that it will reduce the time taken in the disposal of anti-graft cases. The commission has recently struggled in prosecuting high-profile cases, and the ruling is seen as a good precedent for the agency.
