Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo — a name that has become increasingly familiar to Kenyans thanks to his high-profile appearances with President William Ruto — is back in the headlines, but this time for a gift that got turned down.
On Monday, September 21, Chivayo publicly announced that he was gifting a brand-new 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography worth about Ksh32 million to Harare-based lawyer Advocate Dr Lewis Uriri, on top of Ksh6.5 million for fuel and another Ksh6.5 million for Uriri’s wife, whom Chivayo described as a fellow senior lawyer. All in, the package came to roughly Ksh45 million.
Chivayo praised Uriri as a “lawyer par excellence,” crediting him with brilliance, courage and commitment.
Uriri said no to all of it.
So Who Is Lewis Uriri?
Uriri is a Senior Counsel practising at Zimbabwe’s independent referral Bar, where he heads chambers at The Temple Bar in Harare. He’s also the founding President of the Zimbabwe Inns of Court, a professional body modelled on the traditional Inns of Court structure used in advocacy training.
His practice spans investment law, commercial and corporate transactions, dispute resolution, civil rights and constitutional litigation.
He sits on the panel of arbitrators at Harare’s Commercial Arbitration Centre and is one of Zimbabwe’s four designated representatives to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), a World Bank-established body for resolving international investment disputes.
He started out as an intern at Honey & Blanckenberg — one of Zimbabwe’s oldest commercial law firms — became a partner there in 2003, and left in 2007 to join the independent Bar.
Since then, he’s held leadership roles across Zimbabwe’s legal fraternity, helped found The Chambers in 2013, and was central to establishing the Zimbabwe Inns of Court in 2017.
Beyond the courtroom, Uriri has taught law at the University of Zimbabwe, chairs the Faculty of Advocacy Trainers at the Zimbabwe Council for Legal Education, and is affiliated with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, among other bodies.
The High-Profile Cases
Uriri’s name has come up in some of Zimbabwe’s most politically sensitive legal battles.
He was part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legal team during the 2018 presidential election challenge brought by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.
He also represented Sengezo Tshabangu in the contentious litigation over the recall of opposition MPs and councillors linked to the Citizens Coalition for Change.
His official profile, however, frames his work more broadly — constitutional law, civil liberties, commercial disputes, and international arbitration — rather than defining him solely by political cases.
Why He Said No
In his response to Chivayo, Uriri explained that the offer came as a surprise, since the two had last spoken in June 2024.
He said he had done no professional work for Chivayo since then, and that any past legal services had already been performed and paid for in full.
“The historical work to which your tribute refers was performed in my professional capacity and paid for in full,” Uriri said.
Citing Zimbabwe’s Legal Practitioners’ Code of Conduct and international professional standards, Uriri said accepting gifts of that scale — tied to a professional relationship that had already ended — risked creating the appearance of an ongoing obligation.
“My wife and I attach great importance to preserving both our professional standing and public confidence in our independence,” he said.
He thanked Chivayo for the gesture and wished him well, but was firm that neither he nor his wife would accept the vehicle or the cash.
Why Kenyans Know the Name Chivayo
For Kenyan audiences, Chivayo isn’t just “a Zimbabwean businessman” — he’s become a familiar and controversial fixture around President Ruto’s inner circle since 2022.
Chivayo has visited State House and Ruto’s private residences on multiple occasions, often documenting the access himself on social media.
In one widely shared moment, he described Ruto driving him personally to a helicopter after a Kalenjin traditional ceremony, calling it a moment of “grace.”
He’s referred to Ruto as a “father and mentor” and has publicly declared his support for Ruto’s re-election bid in 2027, saying his “voter’s card is already waiting in Nairobi,” despite being Zimbabwean.
He’s also pledged a US$200 million (about Ksh25.9 billion) investment in Kenyan infrastructure, which he says is moving from talk to implementation.
That closeness hasn’t gone unquestioned. Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has publicly pressed for answers about the relationship, pointing to Chivayo’s frequent, unexplained access to the President’s office.
Kenyan opposition figures and critics have linked Wicknell to concerns over Kenya’s 2027 election technology procurement, specifically regarding Smartmatic-supplied integrated election management kits — claims Chivayo has not publicly addressed.
