Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s increasingly visible access to President William Ruto is attracting fresh attention after the tycoon appeared at an intimate First Family celebration, adding another encounter to a growing list of meetings between the two men.

Chivayo was among the guests at Charlene Ruto’s traditional Kalenjin ceremony at Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris, Narok County, on Saturday, August 8. He attended the ceremony with his wife and later described the invitation as an “absolute honour and privilege”.

But it was what happened afterwards that drew further attention. Footage circulated showing President Ruto personally driving Chivayo and his wife from the venue towards a helipad.

For Chivayo, however, access to the Kenyan President is hardly new.

Over the past two years, the flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman has repeatedly shared photographs and accounts of meetings with Ruto at presidential residences and State lodges.

One of the earliest widely publicized encounters came in January 2025, when Chivayo visited Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto after a trip to the Maasai Mara.

Writing afterwards, Chivayo suggested Kenya would become his “second home” and said he looked forward to returning frequently.

The relationship has remained visible since then.

Towards the end of 2025, Chivayo again visited Ruto at State House, Nairobi, saying the President always welcomed him with “the greatest sense of belonging”. He described his meetings with Ruto as treasured opportunities and praised the President’s development agenda.

In January this year, Chivayo was photographed with Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki at a State Lodge in the Mount Kenya region. In a lengthy account of the meeting, he said their discussions touched on Kenya’s development agenda, energy security, infrastructure and investment.

Then on June 1, Chivayo surfaced at the newly established Wajir State Lodge, where he said he was discussing an unspecified multimillion-dollar investment project in Kenya with the President.

That disclosure sharpened the public-interest question surrounding his repeated visits. Are the meetings primarily personal, or are they also connected to business opportunities in Kenya?

Chivayo has publicly said that some of his conversations with Ruto have centred on energy and infrastructure.

Following another State House meeting, he said the two had discussed Kenya’s plans to expand electricity generation through solar, hydropower, geothermal and gas-to-power projects, as well as opportunities for regional energy cooperation and public-private infrastructure investment.

The questions became more pointed in June following reports that IMC Construction Kenya, a company associated with Chivayo, was part of a consortium linked to the planned expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The Kenyan government strongly rejected that report.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the company had not participated in the tender and was not among the contractors that submitted bids.

“We wish to clarify that the company...has no role, involvement or association whatsoever in this project,” Chirchir said on June 18.

The government’s denial is significant because it separates Chivayo’s access to Ruto from claims that the relationship has secured him a role in the JKIA project.

Chivayo’s presence at Charlene’s family ceremony now adds a more personal dimension to a relationship previously seen largely through State House meetings and investment discussions.

The unanswered question is no longer whether Ruto and Chivayo know each other well enough to meet regularly. Their numerous public appearances make that clear.

The bigger question is what explains the Zimbabwean businessman’s remarkable access to the Kenyan President, and where the line sits between personal friendship, political connections and commercial interests.

Follow our social media pages for breaking news updates, in-depth stories and videos.

news@nairobilens.ke