Patmoz
A prominent Nairobi Member of County Assembly (MCA), Abass Khalif of South C, has come under intense scrutiny after a multi-billion shilling real estate development linked to him in Machakos raised questions about the source of his wealth. The Ksh 1 billion gated community project has emerged as a significant red flag, with critics questioning how a single MCA could finance such a large-scale investment.
The development surfaces amidst a series of detailed reports alleging that Khalif is a central figure in a massive corruption network that has siphoned billions from Nairobi County.
According to an investigation by Kenya’s Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Khalif and his associates allegedly orchestrated a sprawling procurement fraud scheme. Between April 2017 and October 2020, over Ksh 1.28 billion was reportedly channeled through closely linked firms, primarily Flexilease Limited and Capital Waste Management. The funds were purportedly paid for fraudulent garbage-collection and COVID-19 kit contracts at City Hall. The FRC report specifies that Flexilease received nearly Ksh 982 million, with over Ksh 713 million subsequently transferred to accounts held by Khalif and others.
Further reports describe Khalif as the alleged core of a “Nairobi County Capture” syndicate that is accused of siphoning more than Ksh 3 billion from the county between 2019 and 2022. The syndicate is believed to have impeded county operations and manipulated payments to its benefit. It is also alleged to have orchestrated a smear campaign against Governor Johnson Sakaja to protect its illicit activities. A separate 2025 exposé revealed that Ksh 407 million vanished through fraudulent payments to 14 shadowy entities, using forged documents for services that were never rendered.
The allegations against Khalif’s network come as Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration faces its own set of challenges and corruption accusations. These include stalled hospital projects valued at Ksh 1.36 billion, irregular urban planning decisions, and a lack of transparency in the city’s revenue systems. Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi has publicly criticized the Governor’s administration for the proliferation of illegal high-rise buildings, which allegedly bypassed public participation and MCA oversight
For many, the Machakos estate serves as a tangible link to the alleged corruption schemes. An official MCA salary could not reasonably support a Ksh 1 billion investment. The timing and scale of the project, coupled with the allegations of channeling billions through fraudulent county contracts, create a strong inference that the real estate project may be funded by the proceeds of corruption.
Shadrack Nyakoe
