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Compare the ‘Kenya mafia’ with the ‘Woyanne mafia’

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

Take a note of the stark similarities between the “Mount Kenya Mafia” and the ‘Woyanne mafia (EFFORT)’ that currently controls almost every major industry in Ethiopia. Ethiopian freedom fighters such as ONLF need to stop confronting the Woyanne military directly, and instead launch attacks on these industries that are fueling the Woyanne killing machine. Here is a partial list of Woyanne-owned industries.


Kenya’s ‘mafia’ feel the heat

By Noel Mwakugu
BBC News, Nairobi

The plan by Kenya’s opposition to boycott companies run by allies of President Mwai Kibaki in protest at the outcome of last month’s presidential election may turn out to be an astute political move.

For since President Kibaki joined the ranks of opposition politics in 1992, he has surrounded himself with a group of close confidants and friends – many going back to his days in college.

And it is they who are being blamed by some for influencing his hardline stance during the ongoing crisis that followed Mr Kibaki’s controversial win.

The wealthy old men, most in their late 70s, consider themselves to be the council of elders but ordinary Kenyans know them as the “Mount Kenya Mafia”.

The circle of influential Kibaki friends include ex-Defence Minister Njenga Karume, Nairobi university chancellor Joe Wanjui, and big time investors Nat Kangethe, Joseph Kanyago and Nick Wanjohi.

The multi-millionaires had vast business interests in commercial agriculture, real estate, tourism industry and transport industry.

Behind the scenes

So when Mr Kibaki ascended to power in 2002 after two failed attempts, the time had come to use their influence.

Apart from a few appointed to prominent positions in his administration, most operate behind the scenes.

Analysts argue that they have taken full advantage of President Kibaki’s hands-off style of administration to play a key role in the deciding of cabinet and top civil service appointments and well paid government contracts.

The president’s inner circle has also been instrumental in ensuring who gets elected to parliament in most of central Kenya.

However, during the last elections a good number of their candidates, who ran for Mr Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU), were defeated at the polls by candidates from smaller political parties.

This was described by political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi as a rebellion against the old order of doing things in the region.

Recent saga

During President Kibaki’s five-year term, it is argued that their business interests have grown considerably.

A key area being pointed out as their core business is the active Nairobi stock exchange.

Well-informed sources allege that the “Mount Kenya Mafia” are associated with companies that have in the past couple of years acquired large numbers of shares.

Just before last year’s elections, Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga claimed that underhand tactics were allegedly used at the stock exchange to the benefit of just a few individuals.

Financial experts said this led to the recent saga where the ODM leadership went to court in an attempt to stop Finance Minister Amos Kimunya from selling the government share of the highly profitable mobile phone company Safaricom.

Simmering temperatures

Political analyst Haroun Ndubi argues that their hardline political positions are intended to protect their economic gains.

“They have realised good profits during his rule and letting go to an individual they do not trust sends a chill down their spine,” argues Mr Ndubi – who is also a human rights lawyer.

When ODM spokesman Salem Lone announced last week that they would be targeting business concerns linked to the government hardliners, this moved quickly.

The ODM has listed businesses in the banking, dairy, tourism and transport sector to name but a few that will be targeted for countrywide boycotts, beginning this week.

In response, President Kibaki unexpectedly appointed a negotiating team lead by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, who came third in the race for the presidency, to try to quell the simmering temperatures.

“I think the new tactic announced by ODM has caused some shivers among the hardliners as it would hit where it hurts most,” Mr Ndubi says.

9 thoughts on “Compare the ‘Kenya mafia’ with the ‘Woyanne mafia’”

  1. Here you go Elias. These are the companies the Tigrai mafia owns, Your link is not working.

    Company Name Year Established (Ethiopian Calendar) Investment Capital Headquarter Chairman of the Board
    1-Almeda Garment 1995 660,000,000 Mekele Abadi Zemu
    2-Addis Engineering 1995 10,000,000 Addis Ababa Arkebe Ekubay
    3-Addis Pharmaceuticals 1995 53,000,000 Addis Ababa Abadi Zemu
    4-Africa Insurance Axion 1995 30,000,000 Addis Ababa Yohannes Ekubay
    5-Almeda Textile Factory 1995 180,000,000 Mekele Abadi Zemu
    6-Mesob Cement Factory 1995 240,000,000 Mekele Abadi Zemu
    7-Mesfin Industrial 1995 500,000,000 Mekele Arkebe Ekubay
    8-Sur Construction 1995 150,000,000 Addis Ababa Arkebe Ekubay
    9-Trans Ethiopia 1995 100,000,000 Mekele Shimelis Kinde
    10-Tesfa Livestock 1995 20,000,000 Mekele Yohannes Kidane
    11-Star Pharmaceuticals 1995 25,000,000 Mekele Arkebe Ekubay
    12-Selam Busline 1995 10,000,000 Mekele TILMA
    13-Sheba Tannery 1995 40,000,000 Wukro Abadi Zemu
    14-Segel Construction 1995 10,000,000 Mekele Araya Zerihun
    15-Rahwa Begina Fiyel Export 1995 25,000,000 Mekele Yassin Abdurahman
    16-Meskerem Investment 1995 40,000,000 Axum Tewodros Tesfaye
    17-Mega Net Corp 1993 10,000,000 Mekele Alemseged GAmlak
    18-Hiwot Agricultural 1995 25,000,000 Mekele Yohannes Kidane
    19-Hitech Park Axion 1996 10,000,000 Mekele Shimelis Kinde
    20-Tana Trading House 1994 50,000,000 Addis Ababa Sibhat Nega
    21-Global Auto Spareparts 1992 26,000,000 Addis Ababa Teklebirhan Habtu
    22-Fana Democracy plc. 1995 6,000,000 Addis Ababa Negash Sahle
    23-Ezana Mining 1995 55,000,000 Addis Ababa Tewodros H.Berhe
    24-Express Transit 1995 10,000,000 Addis Ababa Gebreselassie Gidey
    25-Experience Ethiopia 1995 26,000,000 Mekele Tony Hiki
    26-Ethio Rental Axion 1995 10,000,000 Mekele Atkilit Kiros
    27-Dedebit Saving & Loan 1997 60,000,000 Mekele Atkilit Kiros
    28-Dilate Brewery 1995 15,000,000 Mekele Kahsay Tewolde
    29-Dessalegn Caterinary 1995 15,000,000 Mekele Dr, Maru Erdaw
    30-Berhe Chemical Axion. 1995 25,000,000 Mekele Abadi Zemu
    31-Addis Consultancy 1995 10,000,000 Mekele Sibhat Nega
    32-Birhane Construction 1995 10,000,000 Addis Ababa Bereket Mazengiya
    33-Wegagen Bank
    Businesses that didn’t make their start up investment public.34-Zeleke Agricultural Mechanization PLC 35-Tikur Abbay Transport 36-Ambassel Commerce 37-Dashen Beer Factory 38-Amhara Meleso MaquaQuam 39-Biftu Dinsho 40-Oromia Credit Bank 41-Wendo Trading 42-Tikal Agri Tigrai 43-Sebhat Nega PLC 44-Saba Emnebered 45-Tesfa Animal Development 46-Dinsho Share Company 47-Express Ethio Travel Service 48-Addis Transport 49-Guna Trade Services 50-Almeda Textile 51-Tigrai Tagai Association 52-Tigrai Development PLC 53-Addis Intl. Trading 54-Adwa Flour Factory 55-Radio Fana 56-Shala Advertisement 57-Computer Networking Technology 58-Izana Minerals59-Martha Poultry 60-Walta Industry 61-Guna Coffee Exporters 62-Sheba Leather Trading 63-Brook Chemical Share Compnay 64-National Electromechanical The above companies are owned and run by party members of (TPLF) Tigrian People’s
    Liberation Front. These companies were established between the years 1992-1997 EC.

  3. Mary
    Your article shocked me BUT its a very crucial information could you give me the link please also what is the figure next to the comany is that what they monkey they were given by TPLF government

    This is a good inforamtion
    Thanks Mary

  4. This is madness.

    Why do you advice ONLF and other F’s to blow up industries and firms? They are the wealth of the nation whoever owns them. Any industries or firms created by corruption and fraud will be nationalised when a government created by the people and for the people is established.

  5. Thanks Mary for the information you provided.

    Elias could you please make this story sticky under the “Woyanne Crimes Dossier” in the forum section? Economic exploitation of other Ethiopians is the integral part of TPLF’s secret agenda of tyrannical control of our society. It also needs to be regularly updated. Good work!

  6. Guest1 why you act as a guest. i agree this things has to be targted because they don’t have any benefits for ethiopian people except used as money making machine by woyane.

  7. I know little about the Kenyan mafia. But as to their Ethiopian counterparts, I think, there is more to say:

    1. The mentioned TPLF companies ‘borrowed’ over 3 Billion from government banks between 1996 and 2001. Most of this money was either spent on wrong investments or embezzled. When it was clear that the money cannot be paid back, the ‘parliament’ made a ‘law’ some time around 2002, to write off the debt from the account of the banks. The worst affected were Commercial Bank (CBE) and Construction and Development Bank (Mortgage bank). All in all, the sum was around 6 billion (the remaining was mostly borrowed by individuals close to the party and relatives/friends of corrupt officials).

    The funny thing about this is, they had no shame when they told the public that this liability was transferred from the bank books to the government’s (meaning, the public tax money in the gov’t treasury was used to repay the debts of TPLF companies!)

    2. At least until 2003, these companies (even the profitable ones like Guna, Trans-Ethiopia, etc) did not pay government taxes since formation. I am not sure if they are paying even now. In any case, I have no doubt the tax dues on each company would have been in hundreds of millions. Do you know how they got away with it? Another ‘law’ was made: a law that exempts all PLCs and share companies from paying prior tax dues.

    Naturally, almost all non-TPLF companies in operation had no tax arrears, any way (otherwise they cannot operate since they cannot renew their business licenses). So, to whose benefit this ‘law’ was passed was very clear to everone.

    The saddest thing here is, hard working citizens and companies (like Amalgamated Ltd) were forced out of business, all their assets confiscated under different pretexts and bogus charges, while the parasitic companies were allowed to thrive, devouring us to our bones.

    From what I heard from reliable sources, most of the ‘profit’ is used to grease the repression machinery. Thousands of party operatives outside gov’t structure, security agents at home and abroad, etc., prey on this loot. If you read the Revolutionary Democracy manifesto released by the TPLF some years ago, their strategy should not come to you as a surprise. YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWERS THERE!

  8. When you add up what # 1 Mary said – That is about 2,295,000,000 if you add up 1 thru 33 not including the rest. The does not include the multi million dollars investments in London under the name of Guna which is run by the nephew of Abboy Sebhat Nega (at least about 100 million dollars of investment was identified by Seya at his corruption trial); multi million dollars investment of properties in New York, Virginia area, Colorado and some part of the world under individuals name; multi millions of dollars stashed under personal accounts.. The lists goes on…

    A while ago, when Aiga Forum kids and some other individuals responded as “over our dead bodies” or as one individual said “over my dead body and my son’s body” you know what they are talking about..

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