This is Kenyaโs President William Ruto driving Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
Chivayo is a convicted fraudster who served prison time at Chikurubi Maximum Prison after he was convicted of fraud in Zimbabwe in 2004.
Chivayo later became involved in a controversial R570 million election-materials contract involving Johannesburg-based Ren-Form and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for the 2023 elections.
The deal covered election materials and equipment, including ballot papers and other electoral supplies. Serious questions were subsequently raised over the pricing and movement of the money.
South Africaโs Financial Intelligence Centre reported that more than R1.1 billion was transferred from Zimbabweโs Treasury to Ren-Form for election-related supplies. More than R800 million was subsequently transferred to companies linked to Chivayo.
Investigations into the Ren-Form deal highlighted extraordinary overpricing. Among the examples reported were a server allegedly costing about R90,000 but invoiced at R23 million, while portable toilets reportedly costing around R10,000 each were invoiced at R68,700.
His record on election-related deals is particularly disturbing.
Kenya is heading toward the 2027 general election.
Against that background, seeing him driving around with Kenyaโs president raises obvious questions about what political and business relationships are being cultivated.
Ruto was also ranked second in OCCRPโs 2024 Person of the Year corruption ranking, behind Bashar al-Assad.
A convicted fraudster surrounded by billion-rand election-contract controversies is now being seen with Kenyaโs president before another election.
Democracy in Kenya is under threat.