Revealed: Suspected Kenyan Drug Lord Ali Punjani Bankrolled 2 Presidential Candidates, 10 Governors in 2017

Details have emerged that Kenyan tycoon Ali Punjani, who is wanted by police over allegations of drug trafficking, funded campaigns for top politicians during the 2017 elections.

Punjani allegedly bankrolled two presidential candidates, 10 governors and dozens of MPs and MCAs in the last election, according to K24 TV.

K24 TV reports that documents recovered from the billionaire businessman’s palatial house in Nyali, Mombasa during a raid by police officers on Wednesday showed that he spent millions of shillings to fund politicians.

“The man is well connected. It took us a short while after we entered his house to realize he could be 100 years ahead in terms of planning; he has thousands of sketches of his plans,” K24 quoted a detective, who participated in the raid.

“There were Nepalese and Indians inside that house. We obtained their travel documents and communication gadgets and established that they have been to other African countries before coming to Kenya. We have been piecing together information to establish the kind of businesses they are in and their link with the suspect.”

“When I tell you this man is miles ahead I mean it. He was monitoring the entire search from wherever he is. He remotely controls the cameras,” the officer noted.

In 2013, Punjani was among members of the Mombasa business community who donated a fleet of 19 police patrol vehicles to Mombasa County government to help in the fight against insecurity.

At the time, Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho announced that the customized cars worth Sh2.5 million each were a donation from the business community including Punjani, Mukwano, Grain Bulk, My Space Properties, Rising Star Commodities, Toyopet, Sangani Transporters, and the Hassan Joho Foundation.

During the Wednesday raid at Punjani’s home, his Nepalese wife Ms. Karki Sushmi, 24, was arrested alongside two men of Nepalese and Indian origin. The three were on Thursday released by a Mombasa court over lack of evidence linking them to the drugs trade.

Punjani is reported to have traveled to India, where he is currently hospitalized after undergoing heart surgery.

Punjani is believed to be a close ally of the Akasha brothers, Baktash and Ibrahim, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges before a United States court last year.