Over the years, Kenya has been hit by jaw-breaking scandals, some of which would have probably never been unearthed if not for concerned Kenyans who decided to expose the truth.
In this article, we outline three whistle-blowers behind some of the country's most shocking scandals:
Nelson Amenya
The Masters in Business Administration student at HEC Paris Business School in France made headlines in the country when he unearthed and publicised a controversial plan by the Kenyan government to lease the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Adani Airport Holdings Limited from India.
Amenya indicated that documents and information he'd received claimed that the terms of the deal were oppressive. For instance, he said Adani Group was seeking total control of Kenya's largest airport, allegedly using it as collateral for loans.
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He also cited another alleged clause claiming that Adani Group would terminate the deal with the Kenyan government if the latter failed to protect its business interests.
He also raised questions about the future of airport workers if the deal took effect, adding that workers could either lose their jobs or be subjected to new unfriendly terms.
His revelation caused a public uproar, with Kenyans opposing the alleged deal.
The uproar prompted a response from the government, which said that the deal had yet to be signed. Kenyans, however, have indicated that they do not want anything to do with the Indian company, as its dealings are engraved with many controversies.
Read Also: Inside Controversies Around Adani Group, the Company Linked to JKIA Airport
Following the revelation, Amenya came out and indicated that he'd received threats to his life allegedly from local security agencies and foreign operatives.
Salesio Thuranira
The human rights activist exposed a group of hospitals allegedly defrauding and swindling elderly patients using the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Thuranira divulged that certain hospitals in the country preyed on elderly patients suffering from arthritis and extorted them of money by billing them for services not provided.
Thuranira said he reported the matter to the NHIF fraud unit and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), but nothing came out of it. He filed a petition at the Meru County Assembly requesting an investigation.
Following his expose, former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha suspended NHIF managers in the areas mentioned in the expose.
NHIF suspended its contract with the mentioned hospitals for 90 days, pending investigations.
Speaking months after the expose, Thuranira claimed that his life was in danger, adding that an unidentified person contacted his wife and passed a threatening message.
Spencer Sankale
Sankale, a former accountant at Maasai Mara University, exposed how senior management officials swindled varsity funds through corruption and embezzlement.
Spencer and his colleagues played a crucial role in the exposé by recording video and audio and documenting evidence of Vice-Chancellor Prof Mary Walingo and her accomplices when and after they solicited money illegally.
He narrated how he was forced to okay the release of university cash for suspicious deals unproceduraly by Prof Walingo, who regularly used her driver to drive the agenda.
Others linked to the deal included: the deputy VC Administration, acting deputy VC student affairs Simon Kasaine Ole Seno, Finance officer John Almadi Obere, and the VC's driver, Noor Hassan Abdi.
Following the expose, Sankale was relieved of his duties at the university in June 2021, a move that Kenyans widely criticised on social media.
According to his dismissal letter, the university council stated that Sankale was found guilty of gross misconduct on nine charges.
However, he got a reprieve after the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), the professional organization regulating all accountants in Kenya, joined hands with TI Kenya and Amnesty International and offered him a job.
"On the positive side, after I got fired ICPAK which is my professional body, Amnesty Kenya and TI Kenya came together and made me a consultant for the three bodies," he said.
According to Sankale, together with the three bodies, they are setting up a Public Defenders Fund, which will take care of vulnerable whistle-blowers in their time of need.
"We are trying to set up Public Defenders Fund (PUF) so that it takes care of those who are the most vulnerable because, in this situation, most employers want to make you feel as vulnerable as possible to make you cow down," he added.
