Retired former President Emilio Mwai Kibaki was a man beloved to many for his calm but humorous demeanor. The former Head of State was an astute politician and rated as one of the best economists in the region.
He is well known to many as a good businessman, which saw him rise to become one of the wealthiest individuals in the country.
Kibaki has over the years been associated with a number of properties including about 30,000 acres of land located in various parts of the country. He is also said to have been the owner of the 14 floor Union Towers which he sold to Mount Kenya University for an alleged Ksh800 million.
In 2016, there were reports that the former Head of State was looking to sell about 5,000 acres of land at Ksh11 million per acre in order to fund the construction of a gated community.
Among the properties owned by President Kibaki is a Ksh400 million home located in Mweiga, Nyeri County.
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The house was constructed by the government and gifted to the former president while he neared the end of his reign as Head of State.
Construction of the home began in 2010 after Kibaki travelled to Nyeri to identify where his retirement home will be. The house was completed before he left office in March 2013.
File image of the mansion located in Nyeri County
According to reports, late former first lady Lucy Kibaki visited the house once when it was under construction and never got to live in it prior to her demise. Kibaki is said to visit the home once in a while as well.
The multi-million house rests on 100 acres of land which is part of the 1000-acre land owned by the Sasini Mweiga Estate.
The front gate is guarded by armed officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) deployed by the government.
The residence, which is often referred to as a mini state house boasts a helipad which was constructed to receive the former president and his guests.
The homestead also contains a well-manicured lawn and is surrounded by an electric fence that separates it from Sasini Estate in the neighbourhood.
A swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, a gym, are among several modern facilities installed in the palatial home. It also has security guard offices, servant quarters, secretariat offices and a canteen for the workers.
The compound has a spacious ground that can accommodate up to 500 people.
The house is surrounded by trees and a well-manicured edge and an electric fence. Motorists and pedestrians are only able to see the red-tiled roof of the palatial home.
President Kibaki also has another house in Muthaiga and his home village of Munyange in Othaya.
Kibaki once said that he is a “town person”, a term that has justified reports of the former Head of State rarely spending time at his Nyeri and Othaya homes. He spends most of the time at his Muthaiga home.
According to reports, only his children visit the two rural homes often.
In December 2020, reports emerged that the office of the former president had neglected the Othaya home. The reports alleged that the security guards manning the home were complaining of lack of supplies and a poor working environment.
It was alleged that the airstrip had not been maintained and grass had grown beyond the perimeter fence.
His farm in Narumoru also in Nyeri was also reportedly abandoned with frequent power cuts due to unpaid electricity bills.
Reports indicate that it took the intervention of family members to have the bills cleared after the farm was denied access to utility bills.
His office, however, dismissed the reports terming them unsubstantiated and false.
In May 2020, Treasury data indicated that Kibaki was poised to earn around Ksh 34.43 million in every financial year. The amount comprised of retirement perks and monthly stipends.
He is also accorded personal aides, gardeners, cooks and security officers under the government's payroll.
