HARARE, Aug. 10 (NewsDay Live) - Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has revealed an extraordinary encounter with Kenyan President William Ruto, claiming the head of state personally drove him and his wife about three kilometres to a helipad for his journey back home.
Chivayo posted a selfie video of the journey on social media, showing himself in the front passenger seat while Ruto was behind the wheel and his wife sat in the back.
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The controversial businessman said he had left his helicopter at a helipad and was preparing to depart after attending the traditional engagement celebration of Ruto’s daughter, Charlene, when the Kenyan president offered to drive him there.
“I am being driven by the President of Kenya,” Chivayo says excitedly in the video, with Ruto seen laughing as he drives.
In a lengthy post accompanying the footage, Chivayo said the moment was the “final UNFORGETTABLE” experience of an already special day.
“Imagine me sitting in the front PASSENGER SEAT with my wife at the back while the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, the HEAD OF STATE himself, was behind the steering wheel personally driving me to the chopper!!!” he wrote.
Chivayo described the approximately three-kilometre journey as one of the “most PRICELESS” journeys of his life.
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“I sat there overwhelmed with JOY, thinking, ‘GOD, WHAT KIND OF GRACE IS THIS?’” he wrote.
He thanked Ruto for what he described as the president’s humility and the “genuine love” and kindness he had shown him.
“Your HUMILITY is unmatched and thank you again and always for the genuine love, kindness you have shown me as your own child,” Chivayo said.
The businessman, who frequently showcases his wealth, high-level political connections and access to African leaders on social media, said the encounter was unlike anything he had experienced before.
“What may have been a short drive for you became a MEMORY OF A LIFETIME for me,” he wrote.
The footage comes at a time when Chivayo’s increasingly close relationship with Ruto is already attracting scrutiny in Kenya.
In June, former Kenyan Attorney-General Justin Muturi publicly questioned Chivayo’s access to the Kenyan presidency, asking why the Zimbabwean businessman appeared to enjoy such close proximity to Ruto.
Muturi also linked Chivayo’s political connections in Zimbabwe to questions over his access to senior officials in Kenya.
The latest episode is therefore more than a viral social-media moment: it comes against the backdrop of Chivayo expanding his business interests in Kenya and maintaining unusually high-level access to the country’s political establishment.
Last month, reports suggested that Chivayo’s Kenyan company, IMC Construction Kenya, had secured a stake in the US$2.9 billion expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
According to the report, IMC Construction Kenya was brought into a consortium involving Chinese state-owned construction giant China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).
The deal places Chivayo’s company inside one of Kenya’s largest infrastructure projects and has intensified interest in his frequent visits to Nairobi and his relationship with Ruto.
Kenya would contribute about US$1.3 billion towards the project, with the remainder expected to be financed through local and Chinese banks.
The airport project had already been politically sensitive after an earlier agreement involving India’s Adani Group was terminated following controversy and a corruption investigation involving Adani principals. The new consortium has consequently drawn fresh attention to procurement transparency in Kenya.
Chivayo’s presence in the consortium has added another dimension to questions surrounding his relationship with Ruto, particularly because IMC Construction Kenya is wholly owned by the Zimbabwean businessman.
Chivayo has previously been photographed with Ruto and other regional leaders, while Kenyan opposition figures have questioned the nature of his relationship with the president.
Now, the businessman has released footage of Ruto himself behind the steering wheel, personally driving him to his helicopter after a private family celebration.
The video has already attracted widespread attention in Kenya and Zimbabwe, with the unusual scene prompting fresh debate about the level of access Chivayo enjoys to the Kenyan president.
