A high flying politician who shook the heart of Uasin Gishu county with his multi-billion shillings campaigns in 2017 is now fighting off auctioneers to save his business empire from collapsing.
Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop commonly known as Buzeki who mounted an expensive aerial and ground campaigns using three choppers and top of the range vehicles for the Uasin Gishu governor seat is now fighting to save his company’s moveable assets from being auctioned over Sh340 million land deal between his firm and Landmark Port Conveyors that went sour in 2016.
In June 2019, Buzeki suffered a major blow after the High Court allowed Moran Auctioneers to auction his 289 trucks and 141 trailers to settle the long-standing debt.
But in a bid to secure Buzeki’s properties from Auction, NIC bank on Tuesday provided a list of properties which are the subject of the auction claiming that Buzeki’s business was indebted to it to the tune of Sh2.7 billion having entered into debentures between 2006 and 2016.
“The bank (Objector) was unaware of the fact that Moran Auctioneers had proclaimed 53 trucks and trailers, the subject of the debentures. The Objector only learned of this fact on June 24, 2019,” NIC stated in court papers.
The bank through its appeal wants the Auctioneers stopped from disposing of the assets to recover their debt pending determination of a suit it has filed.
Buzeki Enterprises Ltd is arguing that Moran Auctioneers has failed to comply with the Auctioneers Act and Rules, therefore, rendering their action as being unlawful.
The famous businessman cum politician, who has been in court since 2017, co-owns Buzeki Enterprises Limited with Diana Jepchumba. The transport company, which has lucrative tenders to ferry goods for some international institutions, had a total of 200,000 shares (Buzeki 198,000 and Diana 2,000) as at December 19, 2016.
Additionally, Buzeki’s firm argued the company will suffer a loss of business with the seizure and continued detention of its vehicles, hence the need to have them released.
The Enterprise argued that the case it had filed may also be prejudiced should the vehicles be auctioned before a determination is made by the court.
Buzeki who was a Jubilee politician shifted camps in May joining Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani Party and has been so vocal against the Jubilee government.