Nyali MP Moha Jicho Pevu Caught Up In Alleged Sh44 Million KPA Debt Scam

Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has built his political career on a simple promise: expose corruption, demand accountability and challenge those in power. Today, however, official records have placed some of his closest political associates at the centre of a controversy that raises uncomfortable questions about the standards he has long demanded of others.

Documents seen by this publication show that Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) is pursuing Somtrade Limited for Sh43,590,157.47 in unpaid rental and cargo charges after rejecting repeated requests by the company for a repayment plan.

Mohamed Ali is not listed as a shareholder or director of Somtrade Limited. Nevertheless, company records identify his long-serving personal assistant and political ally, Naeem Shafiq Mohamed, as the company’s largest shareholder, placing the MP’s inner circle squarely at the centre of a dispute that has now escalated into legal action.

The issue is no longer simply about an unpaid commercial debt. It is about public accountability, political proximity and whether influential connections insulated the company from earlier enforcement as the arrears continued to accumulate.

KPA records indicate that Somtrade Limited entered into a lease agreement on 21 November 2023 for Shade 2 on Title Number Mombasa/Block/1/492. The lease, initially intended to run for five years and three months from June 2023, was later amended to commence on 1 June 2024.

On 10 June 2026, KPA issued a formal demand notice stating that Rental Lease Account No. 411200 had accumulated Sh25,142,410 while Cargo Account No. 103011 stood at Sh18,447,747.47, bringing the total outstanding amount to Sh43,590,157.47.

The authority says Somtrade sought payment arrangements through letters dated 9 March and 4 May 2026. Both requests were rejected. KPA maintained that its services operate on a cash basis without credit facilities and described the outstanding debt as inconsistent with its policies. The company was given seven days to settle the amount or face legal proceedings.

A subsequent proposal seeking an additional two months to pay the debt in five instalments, signed by director Mohamed Ibrahim Abdi, was also declined.

Company records show Naeem Shafiq Mohamed owns 30 shares, making him Somtrade’s largest shareholder. Mohamed Ibrahim Abdi, the former Mombasa County Executive Committee Member for Trade during Governor Hassan Joho’s administration, holds 25 shares alongside Ibrahim Bagajo Karayu, while Suleiman Ibrahim Surrow owns the remaining 20 shares.

The ownership structure has intensified public interest because Naeem Shafiq Mohamed is widely recognised as one of Mohamed Ali’s closest political associates. As the MP’s personal assistant and a nominated UDA MCA in the Mombasa County Assembly, he occupies a prominent position within Ali’s political network.

The documents raise several legitimate questions.

How did a company whose largest shareholder is one of the MP’s closest aides accumulate more than Sh43 million in obligations with a state corporation that says it operates on a cash-only basis? Why were the arrears allowed to reach such levels before recovery action was initiated? Were standard enforcement procedures followed throughout the life of the lease, or were there administrative failures that allowed the debt to continue growing?

At present, there is no public evidence that Mohamed Ali personally participated in the management of Somtrade Limited or influenced KPA’s handling of the account. Those questions remain unanswered.

Separately, a member of a lobby group that circulated the documents alleged that Ali previously wielded considerable influence within government institutions and benefited from favourable treatment during the period of political cooperation between President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The source further claimed videos and photographs exist showing Ali confronting procurement and finance officials. Those allegations have not been independently verified, and no supporting evidence has been made public.

Even without those allegations, the official documents alone create a significant political challenge.

Mohamed Ali ‘Jicho Pevu’

Only weeks ago, Mohamed Ali publicly criticised fellow Coast politicians over alleged influence in recruitment at KPA and has consistently positioned himself as one of Kenya’s most vocal anti-corruption politicians.

The emergence of official records linking his closest political associate to a company now facing recovery action from the same state corporation creates a striking contradiction that his political opponents are unlikely to ignore.

The controversy also comes at a sensitive political moment as Ali is widely viewed as a potential contender for the Mombasa governorship. Questions surrounding influence, governance and accountability at the Port of Mombasa carry particular significance because the port remains the economic backbone of the Coast region.

The central questions remain unanswered. What role, if any, did Naeem Shafiq Mohamed play in the management of Somtrade Limited? How did the company accumulate more than Sh43 million in arrears under a cash-only payment regime? Did Mohamed Ali know about the company’s financial obligations to KPA, and if so, when?

Until Mohamed Ali, Naeem Shafiq Mohamed and Somtrade Limited publicly address those issues and provide documentary explanations, the controversy is likely to persist. The documents themselves do not establish personal wrongdoing by the MP. They do, however, raise questions that go directly to the principles of transparency and accountability on which he has built his political career.