A man who had claimed to be the brain behind the bottom-up economic model which has been embraced by Deputy President William Ruto as his campaign pillar towards the August general election, is dead.
Martin Mwaniki died following a grisly road accident along Thika Super Highway that left his Mercedes Benz car completely destroyed after it hit a stationary lorry.
While confirming his death, Nairobi-based lawyer and former journalist Wahome Thuku said they last spoke on February 18, when the deceased was seeking an access card to Sagana.
“When Martin Mwaniki texted me on February 18, he was asking for an access card to Sagana 3. He reminded me on February 21 in very kind words.
“I have engaged Mwaniki since 2016. Some of the things he has been texting me on and we talk about are so classified and they remain so. A very jovial gentleman. RIP brother. Death is the ultimate path for all,” Thuku mourned.
Lilly Davis, who is his close friend explained that she was yet to come to terms with what had happened.
“Even after seeing you in your death, I am yet to accept the fact that I will never see and talk to you again my dear friend. Saying Good morning and goodnight to you was a routine. Unfortunately, I’m still waiting for yesterday’s message reply. Yes, we were to visit our proposed project site today and plan accordingly,” her post read in part.
“My sincere condolences to your family and friends. May your special soul rest in eternal peace,” Davis further said.
The deceased had claimed that he was the brains behind the bottom-up economic strategy in 2014 and that he was short-changed by DP Ruto’s allies including his Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi.
In a long Facebook post, Mwaniki claimed that he was shocked to see Ruto using it as his agenda for Kenyans ahead of the polls.
“It is amusing listening to William Ruto blubbering trying to explain how the bottoms up economic model will work. This is what happens when you don’t have the originality of ideas,” his post read in part.
According to Mwaniki, Ruto had started using the slogan after Itumbi fell out with President Uhuru Kenyatta and joined the Deputy President.
Mwaniki said he started the agenda in his quest to find a possible solution to the unemployment problem in the country.
“In the year 2013\2014, I decided to do something about it by researching on various ways we could curb the unemployment menace in the country,” Mwaniki said, adding that it is then that he came up with the bottom-up economic model blueprint.
He claimed that it was hard for him to share the idea with the government of the day because he didn’t know how to reach the government’s policymakers.
It was on this grounds that he opted to reach out to Itumbi who by then was in good books with President Kenyatta.
“So, I contacted him and scheduled a meeting in my office which by then was at Rehema House which they came with David Nzioka and another gentleman I cannot remember,” he said.
The deceased said that he did the presentation to the trio and they promised that they would get back to him, but he never heard from them at all.
Here is his 2021 statement where he claimed the bottom-up economic model idea:
Bottom up economic model conmanship. I don’t claim to have monopoly of ideas but I can confidently state I started the bottoms up economic model conversation in the year 2014. Its amusing listening to William Samoei Ruto blubbering trying to explain how the bottoms up economic model will work.
This is what happens when you don’t have originality of ideas.If you have been keen enough, you will realise, Ruto started preaching the bottom up gospel the other day, when Itumbi and Co. fell out with the president and moved to Rutos camp to be precise.Those who know me, knows i have always been very passionate about job creation and youth empowerment.
In the year 2013/2014, I decided to do something about it by researching on various ways we could curb the unemployment menace in the country.So I came up with bottom up economic model blueprint. This could be best implemented if I had the backing and the goodwill of the government of the day. The problem now was getting hold of the relevant authorities to share with so that it can reach the right policy makers.The easiest person to get hold of, who by then had the presidents ear was Dennis Itumbi .
So I contacted him and scheduled a meeting in my office which, by then was at Rehema house, Standard/Kaunda streets which they came with David Nzioka and another gentleman I can’t remember. I passionately did the presentation and got the usual we will get back to you soon. I never got to hear from him again, only to later see the ministry of youth rolling out some half baked programmes which gave birth to the corruption scandals that rocked the ministry.(Story for another day).
Good thing they only stole half the idea, that’s why you see they are stuck at the most basic level- giving out carwash machines and wheel barrows that’s all.Its funny how Kenyans are not interrogating and asking hard questions about this ‘saviour’ model.
I can assure 90% of the political parrots singing ‘bottoms up’ song in every rally have no idea of what they are talking about.My problem is not even stealing the idea, its how a noble idea has been bastardised and converted into a political tool to achieve political mileage.
Why am I saying all this? I just wanted to call out the conmanship from Mr Itumbi and Co. I have attached our initial correspondence I had with them for reference.
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