Mavin Mabonga, a telecommunications engineer and political aspirant known online as @Mabonga_254, shared a document on Monday that he described as a leaked agreement detailing payments for public relations and lobbying work linked to the Kenyan government.
In his post, Mabonga stated that the agreement shows State House would pay a United States-based agency Sh.22.575 million every month for a period of 12 months.
He linked the arrangement to President William Ruto’s public relations strategy and said the money would come from taxpayers. Mabonga ended his message with a call for Ruto to leave office.
The document he posted appears to be an engagement agreement between Continental Strategy LLC, a firm based in Washington D.C., and the Republic of Kenya. It is marked as received by the NSD/FARA Registration Unit on 8 August 2025.
According to the text, the firm was engaged to provide lobbying services and government relations consulting at the federal level in the United States.
The agreement sets a monthly retainer of 175,000 US dollars for a 12-month period.
That figure converts to roughly Sh.22.575 million at prevailing exchange rates, matching the amount Mabonga highlighted.
The agreement states that the firm will offer government relations services, while the client, identified as the Republic of Kenya, is responsible for supplying necessary information and making timely payments.
Additional costs such as registration fees and travel expenses may also be billed separately. The document notes that the arrangement is subject to the firm’s standard terms and conditions.
Mabonga presented the papers as evidence that public funds were being used to hire a foreign agency for political image management.
His post quickly drew attention online, with some users reacting to the reported cost and others questioning the purpose of the contract. A few replies suggested the arrangement reflected concerns about government spending, while others asked for more details about the firm and the specific services involved.
The document itself does not name President Ruto or any individual Kenyan official. It refers only to the Republic of Kenya as the client. Continental Strategy LLC lists offices in Washington D.C., Tallahassee, Miami, Jacksonville and Buenos Aires. Firms of this kind often register under the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act when they represent foreign governments, which explains the FARA stamp on the scanned page.
At the time of Mabonga’s post, neither State House nor Continental Strategy had issued a public response to the claims. The agreement’s appearance online has added to ongoing discussions in Kenya about the use of public resources for communications and lobbying work abroad.
Mabonga, who describes himself as a human rights defender and founder of a local initiative, framed the disclosure as part of wider criticism of the current administration.
The monthly sum of 175,000 dollars over one year would total just over 2.1 million dollars before any extra expenses. For many Kenyans following the post, the figure raised questions about priorities in government expenditure.
Whether the contract remains active or has been amended is not clear from the materials shared so far.
The document stands as one more piece of information circulating in a charged political climate ahead of future electoral contests.
Add Comment