Julius Mwale, presented by Forbes magazine as “one of Kenya’s top entrepreneurs”, is fêted for his rags-to-riches life story in which he claims to have created a “multi-billion-dollar” company in the US.

With ambitious and well-publicised projects to build pioneering smart cities in Kenya and Senegal, he enjoys rubbing shoulders with African presidents and celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports.

But this investigation by Mediapart tells a different story, one of a trail of claims for unpaid bills, disputes with investors and lenders, and unfinished projects. Clément Bonnerot and Sonia Rolley report.

At a very public level, Mwale can be found on social media posts photographed together with various American and African political figures, including several presidents. The latter include Donald Trump (in August 2021), Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo (September 2022), Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio (October 2022). He hs been pictured on numerous occasions with Kenyan President William Ruto, who he accompanied on an official visit to the Republic of Congo in early July. In June, Botswana’s vice-president Slumber Tsogwane led a large delegation on a visit to the Mwale Medical and Technology City.

Meanwhile, in May 2023, several Kenyan media reported that Mwale was among a group of investors hoping to buy Forbes Global Holdings Inc. from owners Integrated Whale Media Investments, but there have been no further reports of Mwale’s involvement in the project.