Billionaire philanthropist's measured relationship with politicians at the Coast

Hasmukh Patel was not directly involved in politics, but he was a unifying figure who attracted politicians from all political affiliations.

Although there were instances where he had differences with politicians in Mombasa and Kilifi counties, where he had invested in charity and businesses, it was evident that he had a charm and magnetism that drew in politicians both from the Coast and nationally.

His funeral service last Sunday confirmed that he was a man of the people, appreciated by both the poor and the rich.

Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, East Africa Legislative Assembly member Hassan Omar, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Jubilee leader Jeremiah Kioni, and DAP-K Leader Eugene Wamalwa attended.

Others present included Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, MPs Omar Mwinyi, Badi Twalib, Rashid Bedzimba, and Owen Baya. The leaders were full of praise for Hasmukh Patel.

Joho confirmed that the owner of Mombasa Cement had readily accepted his request to rehabilitate the Kibarani dumpsite and transform it into a recreational park during his tenure as Mombasa governor, at the cost of about Sh1 billion.

At the time of his death, Patel was establishing a 53,000-acre farm at Galana Kulalu in Kilifi, which had been allocated to him by the government to produce food. He had set aside Sh5 billion for the venture, investing in irrigation infrastructure, including a 30 km canal and 14 dams.

“Once we finish everything, we will have a capacity of five million cubic meters of fresh water. When we are ready, we aim to grow sunflower, sesame, and napier grass. The napier grass will be used for gas production through a biodigester to run the generators,” he had stated.

Patel was granted permission by the government to use the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) land.

In December 2022, Patel had a face-to-face meeting with President William Ruto, where he briefed him on his commitment to run the Sahajanand Special School in Mtwapa, which serves 1,500 disabled children.

He informed the President that the students came from both Kenya and the region, including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.

“It is the biggest school for the disabled in Africa,” Patel told President Ruto in December 2022. In December 2018, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi set aside time to join Patel at his Sahajanand feeding centre in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, to witness thousands of people receiving food donations.

Although Patel did not speak to the media, the presence of politicians as he carried out his charity work confirmed that he was a favourite and an attraction to politicians.

Mudavadi witnessed the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) work, where the philanthropist was said to spend Sh50 million per month to feed the local community.

Admiring Patel's efforts, Mudavadi said, "We need, as a country, to come up with policy programs to ensure that our households are food secure."

He was accompanied by politicians Beatrice Adagala, Ben Shilibwa, Alfred Agoi, Omboko Milemba, Ayub Savula, and Kassim Sawa Tandaza.

However, Patel also clashed with politicians at times.

During the tenure of former Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Patel threatened to close down Sahajanand Special School following disagreements with local politicians.

His aides said he was unhappy with politicians after they tried to arm-twist him regarding his charity programs.

In Mombasa County, Patel’s team once found itself in conflict with Governor Nassir’s administration after being given conditions on how to donate to the needy, especially patients at Coast Hospital.

Mombasa representatives Samir Bhaloo and Imtiaz Sayani even threatened to remove the animal sculptures from Mombasa City and relocate them to Kilifi County due to the standoff.

“We are going to remove our animals and take them to Kilifi because Mombasa has no water,” they had warned.

They were referring to the many animal statues that Patel’s firm had installed in various locations to beautify the tourist city.

Nassir denied claims that his administration had stopped philanthropists from giving donations, but he emphasized that he wanted a more orderly approach to charitable activities.

“No one is crazy enough to stop donations. We just asked for an orderly way of doing things,” Nassir said.