The Jubilee Party headquarters, housed in the Emani Business Centre in Pangani, made headlines when it was listed for auction.
Registered under Farmers Industry Limited and Ms Florence Wairimu Mbugua, the building traces back to its controversial owner—Joseph “Muici” Kiarie Mbugua.
Known for his cunning and scandal-ridden business dealings, Mbugua’s legacy is as dramatic as the fate of the building itself.
Nicknamed “Muici” (Kikuyu for “thief”), Mbugua was a feared figure from the 1970s to the 1990s.
According to journalist John Kamau, he was a man of wealth, coffee, and intimidation—often seen armed and unapologetic. His ventures, though lucrative, were often shadowed by deceit.
In the coffee sector, Mbugua stockpiled beans worth millions at his Kiambu factory, claiming it was a protest against the Coffee Board of Kenya.
However, records revealed he owed Sh75 million to the Kenya Planters Coffee Union—a debt he refused to repay.
His business empire included Karura Quick Transport and a tea estate in Kiambu. Yet, his reputation was built on land and financial scandals.
He acquired land from Mrs Beatrice Holyoak in 1977 through questionable means, renaming it Mawara Coffee Estate—ironically meaning “dishonesty.”
Through Mbwanji Limited, he received Sh13 million worth of maize from the National Cereals and Produce Board, only settling the debt after a court order.
Mbugua’s most audacious move involved the Kiambu Ting’ang’a Land Buying Company. Tasked with helping design a petrol station, he allegedly manipulated the process to acquire the land title and build the station himself.
He even took loans under the alias “Kiarie Kamwana,” further cementing his reputation as a master of manipulation.
Joseph Kiarie Mbugua’s story is a cautionary tale of wealth built on deception. Though his empire once stood tall, the auction of the Jubilee Party HQ marks a symbolic fall—proof that even the most cunning legacies eventually face reckoning.
About The Author
