Jeremy Carver

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Spencon was once one of the largest construction companies in East Africa . After years of financial difficulties, two highly paid British bosses have been brought in order to save it, But 18 Months later, the bosses are fled, and hundreds of Africans had Lost their jobs. An Africa -eye examination shows that the inner history, as Spencon went bankrupt.

Simeon Randinga Spencon joined as a janitor. He dreamed that it would bring a better life.

In July 2015, two British bosses saw their new Nairobi offices in over an empty piece of land and decided to build a Golf green.

Andrew Ross and Steven Haswell hired a consultant of one of Kenya's leading Golf clubs. Trees were ripped up and replaced by a Bunker and the smooth play was laid in a green and nourished by a sprinkler system.

"How cool is this?" Haswell wrote in an E-Mail home. "We have a chipping Area , putting green, bunker and driving net. "

Ross and Haswell were in Nairobi on a rescue mission: to save the struggling Kenyan construction giant Spencon. She had been appointed as Directors of The Company by US investment firm Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), that was in 2006 and 2007, with a total investment of $15m in Spencon - including $1. 5m from the UK government aid money to boost the Kenyan economy and create jobs.

not succeed But Ross and Haswell, to save, Spencon. After thousands of leaked Company E-Mails, messages and documents of Africa , the eye, the two British bosses seem to be a pattern of very questionable business practices, like she's trying to get The Company around. They are now accused of, allegedly, banks, million of dollars, to sell the implicitly threaten a business partner to the infamous Kenyan gangsters working with a convicted Criminal to cheat, and potentially illegal cash payments.

This is The Story of the 18 Months , the Ross and Haswell spent in the amount of Spencon, before The Company went bankrupt, leaving hundreds of Kenyans out of work, to pay some of the already missing months.

Nancy Ntinu, Spencon, a former head of HR, took Africa 's eye on a tour through the abandoned Golf course, built by Ross and Haswell.

"a Golf course for a Company that is insolvent, on The Verge of financial distress, do not simply add up," She Said as she went to Manager an overgrown path putting Area .

"It is a mockery for the employees was observed, this lawn will be watered on a daily basis, these men wanted to play Golf . "

Workers were built, the part of Ross and Haswell's Golf green, We lose The ready-made green" patient "

Spencon was once one of the largest construction companies in East Africa - a giant, employs More Than 5,000 employees at its peak and boasted large-scale infrastructure projects in seven countries. It was headquartered in a huge office complex in the Upper Hill district of Nairobi with successful multi-nationals for the neighbors.

But behind The Scenes , Spencon was saddled with debt. At the beginning of 2014, ECP, the U.S. Company , which had $invested, 15m, took control of the construction Company from its founders. In November 2014, ECP, Ross - engineer and business director, set, the would take over the control of Spencon. In April 2015, he was accompanied by Haswell - accountant with experience in the restructuring of African firms, because who the finances. Haswell was to pay $25,000 per month, horse $30,000.

their task was to Turn Around Spencon the fortunes so that ECP can sell, it could by The End of 2016. She only had 18 Months . With The Business already on The Brink , it was never going to be easy, But the fate of hundreds of employees in East Africa was in Ross 's and Haswell's hands.

Wycliffe Ochieng, a 38-year-old assistant mechanic, was one of these employees. Ochieng luck had found in his work at The Company . It had allowed him to rent a small house with his wife and Young Daughter in Nairobi, with running water and electricity, and he began to dream of a better life for His Family .

If Spencon finally went bankrupt in November 2016, Ochieng found himself out of work and crippling debt. He owed months and owed a month rent.

"He used to things, such as shoes and clothes to buy," recalls his wife, Lynet. "Some of the things he has done for us, as we lived in the city are different compared to now. "

Now The Family lives in a small hut on Ochieng's parents' property, 230 miles (370km) from Nairobi. They have no electricity and no running water. Ochieng share a bed with Lynet and her Young Daughter , and work The Land , feed, as well as he can. Some days he hardly eats at all.

"I Take Care of My Family like A Man ," He Said , depressed, when Africa Eye visited him there Last Year . "It has been feeling really down and my self-worth. "

In July 2015, Ochieng was of the arrival at Spencon for his first day as an assistant mechanic, blissfully unaware that The Firm was already in serious trouble. Shortly After Ochieng started, Andrew Ross , promised the employees that No One was going to lose their jobs, He Said . But an E-Mail sent in April by Steven Haswell shows he was worried.

"I think we will lose this patient!!!", he wrote. "We have 4 months of cash left ... It is not a good look. "

The two heads, the lower cost, July, make a round of redundancies and the relocation Spencon of its upscale Nairobi headquarters of the dusty, out-of-town maintenance depot in the possession of The Company , in the case of the simple pre-fab workshops have been converted into offices.

But also to spend started.

A week After The Move to The Depot , Ross , and Haswell was $70,000, paid for their own Company cars - Range Rover and VW Touareg. Haswell Said Africa -eye on The Cars projected an image of an organization, of the substance, rather than in the vicinity of insolvency. Ross Said , were the vehicles considered appropriate by the Board of Directors. But the employees were not thrilled. "It was a wasteful expenditure," Said Spencon device manager, and Mike Hyland, who organized The Purchase . Dickens Omollo, the chief of security at The Depot , was surprised by Ross 's Range Rover. "We asked ourselves - that is a lot of money, and we have No Money , and he says he wants to bring you to this Company ?"

Ross and Haswell will also have to work on your Golf green. The Head groundsman, had been hired by one of Kenya's leading Golf clubs About the design of the plush practice Area complete with two bunkers with 120 tons of sand.

The two leaders Said that Africa , the eye of The Golf course built to negligible cost with Spencon personnel and equipment, and projected a positive image of The Company .

Simeon Randinga, a janitor in The Company , felt The Course was off-limits to ordinary staff. "The Golf course was out of bounds for the rest of us," He Said . "It belonged to them alone. "

Ross and Haswell told African eye, The Green was open to use for all employees.

Simeon Randinga to Get in front of his new home to Fire-sale

a job at Spencon had, meant The World to Randinga. He was newly married, and had begun to fear that his wife would leave him, if he could not care for them. The current income from Spencon relieved his fears, and After a few months of work, his wife moved to Nairobi to join him, and they had a child.

Then in mid-2015, Randinga something that worried him, He Said , The Company seemed to be selling perfectly good equipment in addition to scrap and redundant machines noticed.

"If you were to sell these things, I asked," these are very Good Things , why are you selling them? Are you sure, we still have our jobs?'. "

The Man behind the sale of Tony Sanghani, a security consultant was hired by Ross and Haswell. As well as the security, the two leaders, entrusted him with a Fire Sale of Spencon equipment. She would later say that they had no idea, Sanghani was a convicted felon. A simple Google Search shows that he and his brother were sent to prison in 2002 for inciting their own corporate security forces the attack on the two men.

Mike Hyland, the Spencon device manager was convinced that Ross and Haswell knew. "I'm 100% sure that you did it," He Said . "I told Andrew Ross , if I resigned, you know, you were dealing with a Criminal . "According to Hyland, Ross replied: "We have to do what we have to do. "Ross denied knowledge of Sanghani record or the answer in this way.

leaked E-Mails show Sanghani had. the two-in-chief's full support, to sell assets "Please, all the help and support of Tony , convert The Old equipment and Spare Parts into cash," wrote Haswell in an E-Mail to employees in October 2015. "Please make sure Tony is given full support," wrote Ross in a separate E-Mail.

Tony Sanghani has worked as a consultant of Ross and Haswell

kenya, construction industry, nairobi

Source of news: bbc.com