The influence of Anthony Mwaura in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) politics was undeniable during the campaigns preceding the 2022 elections.
Despite his low profile, the power and influence he wielded as the UDA National Elections Board (NEB) Chairman was indisputable.
He, alongside other figures in the party, steered the UDA to scooping the majority seats in the parliamentary elections giving the ruling party the lion share in both houses after spearheading the party’s hotly contested primaries.
Later when the UDA won the Presidency, Mwaura missed out on the long list of President William Ruto’s foot soldiers picked to form the Kenya Kwanza administration’s cabinet.
His name would, however, pop up later into President Ruto’s first year in office when he was picked to be the Chairperson of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
Mwaura’s appointment could have come as a surprise to some as unlike his predecessors, he had not served in the cabinet or led a state corporation.
As the Chairperson of KRA, Mwaura was to take over the mantle from Ambassador Francis Muthaura whose experience in the public service is longstanding in steering KRA to deliver the national government’s revenue collection targets.
But despite being a newbie in the public service, Mwaura was not as new to government related business.
How Anthony Mwaura rose to a key political figure
Prior to his involvement in the UDA politics, Mwaura had kept a low profile as a businessman and educationist.
He holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from Kisii University and Diploma in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management-among other academic qualifications.
Throughout his career, Mwaura has helped in managing education institutions including in several roles as the Chairman of the Board of Management (BoM) for high schools.
But it is his trade as a supplier that thrust him into the spotlight especially when dealing with government agencies.
Mwaura’s journey to brushing shoulders with the who is who in the government started in the early 2000s as the proprietor of Toddy Civil Engineering, a company that specializes in civil engineering and sale of construction material.
At the time, Mwaura led the company of two employees in running the business of supplying construction material, leasing construction equipment, and construction in Nyeri County.
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His company would eventually grow and even reached the levels of transacting business with government agencies including the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA).
Mwaura rises to the spotlight after Nairobi County case
His company’s business with the Nairobi County government during Governor Mike Sonko’s tenure as the city’s governor.
Together with his wife, Mwaura was roped in a case where they were accused of embezzling over Ksh350 million from the county through questionable contracts.
On his part, Mwaura maintained that he was justified to demand settlement of the amount for the services he offered to the county government’s water and sewerage department through his Hardi Enterprises company.
But the county government contested his claim, leading to a protracted court battle.
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In December 2023, the High Court ordered Nairobi County to pay Mwaura Ksh500 million.
A magistrate court in Nairobi also acquitted Mwaura and Sonko in the Ksh357 million graft case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at the Nairobi County Government in a ruling made in February 2024.
On Tuesday April, the UDA Party in a meeting chaired by President Ruto reinstated Mwaura to the position of the party’s election board chair ahead of another anticipated hot contests in the party’s elections.
His appointment has, however, sparked jitters over conflict-of-interest concerns with many questioning Mwaura’s involvement in UDA party affairs.
Mwaura was on Wednesday, April 3, sworn in to his new role in a ceremony held at the UDA party headquarters in a event attended by party leaders.
