Rashmi and Deepakkumar Kamani, members of one of Kenya’s most controversial business families, are making headlines again after a leak exposed their property investments in Dubai.
The leaked records reveal that between 2007 and 2011, the brothers acquired seven high-end properties in some of Dubai’s most prestigious locations, including Palm Jumeirah and Marina Residences.
Rashmi Kamani’s holdings alone are worth over Ksh 2 billion ($15.57 million) and include luxury apartments and office spaces. Deepakkumar also owns office units in Tiffany Towers valued at Ksh 76 million ($589,400).
Kamani brothers arraigned in Kenya’s courts during a past incident. Photo: The Star Source: Facebook
These property deals have raised fresh questions, especially given the family’s troubled past involving Kenya’s infamous Anglo Leasing scandal.
The Kamanis were deeply implicated in the Anglo Leasing saga, a massive financial fraud involving fake government contracts for services like security systems and passport printing.
The scam cost Kenya billions of shillings, and though investigations dragged on for years, no significant legal action was taken against the family.
Unlike other wealthy figures who keep a low profile, the Kamanis have continued to enjoy public life, attending high-level business events and securing government contracts.
However, the timing of their Dubai property purchases raises eyebrows since many of the acquisitions coincided with the height of the Anglo Leasing investigations.
Their ability to move vast amounts of money abroad without raising suspicion has led to renewed public outcry.
Activists and anti-corruption watchdogs are now calling for a deeper probe into whether these Dubai properties were purchased using proceeds from fraudulent government contracts.
While the Kamanis continue to enjoy the trappings of wealth, these revelations serve as a bitter reminder of how Kenya’s elite have often managed to avoid accountability.
Many are questioning whether justice will ever be served, or if the powerful will once again slip through the cracks.
