Wilson Nashon Kanani: How Nairobi County Employee Made Sh 643 Million At 46   

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Earlier this year, Wilson Nashon Kanani, a long-time Nairobi County employee successfully fended off a bid by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to seize over Sh643 million in assets linked to him.  

The highly publicized court case left many Kenyans astonished at how a low-level government employee amassed such a large fortune, which many well-paid CEOs and heads of parastatals can only dream of.  

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Most speculated that to amass such wealth, Kanani must have been waist-deep in corruption mire.  

However, Kanani dissed these allegations when the Kenyan high court dismissed a case by the EACC alleging that Kanani’s wealth was garnered via dubious means.  

So, how did a 46-year-old county worker amass wealth exceeding half a billion?  

This is Kanani’s journey as told by WOA:  

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The Accusations 

The EACC’s case centered on accusations that Kanani, who works as a development control officer in Nairobi County’s urban planning department, had amassed significant wealth through corrupt means.  

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As part of his job at the county, Kanani regulates outdoor advertising, monitors compliance, and ensures advertisers make the necessary payments for their ads.  

Investigations by the EACC uncovered what appeared to be unexplained wealth, including real estate, vehicles, and substantial bank deposits.

Among the assets cited were a Sh6.5 million apartment in Nairobi, a Sh11.2 million house in Busia, and land in Naivasha valued at Sh3.5 million.

In addition, Kanani’s four high-end vehicles — a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, Mercedes Benz E 300, Mercedes Benz E350, and a Toyota Alphard — raised further eyebrows. 

The EACC also claimed that between January 2016 and October 2022, Kanani had received a cumulative total of Sh506 million in deposits across five bank accounts, as well as Sh750 million in M-Pesa transactions.  

This led the commission to conclude that Kanani’s wealth was the product of illicit payments, including kickbacks and bribes. 

Explaining His Wealth 

Kanani, however, strongly rejected these allegations.

He explained that the assets in question were acquired through legitimate means, including income from businesses outside of his work at City Hall.  

One of his key sources of wealth was his co-ownership of 1824, a popular nightclub on Lang’ata Road in Nairobi.  

Kanani also presented evidence in court showing that his wife’s business ventures and an inheritance from his late father had contributed to the family’s financial standing. 

While Kanani’s official salary as a development control officer was Sh85,630 per month (later raised to Sh93,375 by 2022), he argued that the notion of a person’s wealth being solely dependent on their salary was an oversimplified and flawed view.  

“A junior employee who wisely invests his supposedly meager salary can be wealthier and have more assets than an executive who spends his otherwise humongous salary on leisure and sin,” he remarked. 

Justice Sifuna echoed this sentiment, ruling that the EACC’s stance was mistaken and that wealth could legitimately accrue from a variety of sources, not just one’s monthly paycheck.  

Speaking to Business Daily, Kanani narrated how the protracted legal battle to prove his wealth had taken a toll on him, both personally and professionally.  

The freezing of his assets caused untold disruption in his life. Friends distanced themselves from him, and his family was unfairly dragged into the controversy.  

Kanani, however, remained steadfast, confident that his wealth was the result of hard work and prudent financial management, not corruption. 

 

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