Credited as one of the most accomplished corporate manager, Dr Evans Kidero's journey to fame could end in a low key following the latest corruption charges he's facing.
Last week, Kidero was arrested by the police for allegedly being a beneficiary of Sh68 million, irregularly paid to a law firm in Nairobi. The transaction were made when he was governor.
“On January 8 2014 you unlawfully acquired Sh14.4 million from Steven Kariuki while knowing it was public property. You also engaged in money laundering by acquiring a Toyota Lexus valued at Sh14 million while knowing the money was part of proceeds of crime,” read the charges.
On Tuesday, Dr Kidero, the first Nairobi governor, was released on Sh8 million cash bail after spending four days in custody. So pressing are the charges that Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti equated them to economic crimes.
"Economic crimes are a class apart and need to be dealt with seriously and Parliament needs to look into the anti-corruption laws if we are to win any war against corruption," Ogoti said.
Born in 1957, Dr Kidero attended Agoro Sare High School before moving to Mang'u High School in Thika. At the University of Nairobi, he did Pharmacy. Being a son of a policeman with thirsty in education, he got Masters of Business Administration before doing doctorate in Pharmacy.
And Dr Kidero, who served as CEO Mumia sugar for 8 years, is married to Dr Susan Mboya, the third born daughter of renowned politician Tom Mboya and Pamela Mboya. Mboya, a Trade unionist, served as minister in government before his assassination in 1969.
Susan's grandfather, Walter Odede, from Rusinga, was also another pre-independence politician from South Nyanza. The Mboya and Odede families are not strangers to integrity.
How Dr Kidero will clear his name, is another story to be told in many days to come. For now, his political ambitions and integrity hang in uncertainty given the charges he's facing.