Wicknell Chivayo, a well-known Zimbabwean businessman often referred to as Sir Wicknell, died on 30 September 2026 in a helicopter crash in the Marondera rural area of Zimbabwe.
He was 43 years old.
His wife, Lucy Muteke, also known as Lulu, was among the six people on board the aircraft. There were no survivors. Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed the crash occurred around 5 pm local time, and family spokesperson Herbert Chivayo later verified that both Wicknell and his wife had died in the accident.
Government officials noted that the helicopter carried a high-profile businessman along with other passengers and pilots.
Chivayo was born on 22 November 1982 in the Chivhu area of Zimbabwe. He founded and led Intratrek Zimbabwe, a company that focused on energy and infrastructure projects.
One of his most discussed contracts was the Gwanda Solar Project, awarded around 2015 for a 100-megawatt plant. The project faced long delays, legal disputes over advance payments, and later court proceedings from which he was eventually cleared.
He was also linked to other government-related work in Zimbabwe and had expanded his interests into neighbouring countries in recent years.
In Kenya, Chivayo’s name appeared in public discussion several times. Reports circulated that linked a company associated with him, IMC Construction Kenya, to the large-scale expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Some accounts put the project value near Sh375 billion. Kenyan transport officials later stated clearly that the company had not taken part in the bidding process and held no role in the project. Officials also clarified that the actual expected cost was far lower than the figures that had been reported in some media.
Chivayo had visited Kenya and met senior government figures, including President William Ruto, which added to the attention around his activities there.
Separate reports also mentioned possible involvement in the supply of election materials for Kenya’s 2027 general election, specifically ballot papers. These claims remained unverified in official channels.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had opened a tender for ballot papers and related materials, but the process later faced legal challenges and was suspended pending review.
No confirmed award to any company linked to Chivayo was recorded in public statements from the commission.
Chivayo’s business career was marked by both high-value contracts and repeated public scrutiny. He faced earlier legal cases in Zimbabwe involving fraud allegations connected to foreign currency dealings and later to the Gwanda project payments. Courts ultimately cleared him in several of those matters.
He was known for a visible lifestyle that included generous public gifts of cars and cash to various individuals, as well as close associations with political figures in Zimbabwe and beyond.
His sudden death has brought fresh focus to the questions that had already been raised about his business dealings in Kenya and the nature of his connections to senior officials.
The deals he was linked to, whether confirmed or only reported, are likely to receive closer examination in the coming period as investigators and the public look again at the record of his activities.
Authorities in Zimbabwe continue to handle the aftermath of the crash, while the full list of those who died and the precise cause of the accident are still being established.
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