One of the UK’s biggest companies made secret political donations to a presidential candidate in Africa in a bid to block a rival firm winning a multimillion-pound contract.

British American Tobacco (BAT) paid £50,000 to Kenyan politician Martha Karua, a former Justice Minister, to prevent a rival company supplying Kenya with technology to combat cigarette smuggling.

In return for the donations, paid in cash via a middle man, BAT obtained key confidential Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) documents outlining the £100m five-year contract for new technology designed to stamp out tobacco smuggling. They then had the contract deliberately delayed while they secretly lobbied to get their own system chosen.

ndossier kali sana kuliko ya Wets. Waiting for Swenani's press conference

I am aware that a businessman whose name I remember as Paul (Hopkins) affiliated with BAT made what I understood to be a personal donation to my presidential campaign. At no time did I ever discuss the award or influence of contracts/tenders whether at KRA or indeed within any other government entity with Paul or anyone else

My recollection is that Paul’s donation was about Sh2m. If any person within my campaign team or beyond purported to accept a donation in exchange for influence of government procurement (they were) acting beyond the scope of their authority, without my knowledge and in their individual capacity not for me or my campaign

Furthermore, Ms Karua also said Ms M’Mukindia did not tell her she had met with BAT officers. Separately, in a series of Twitter posts, Ms Karua asked her followers to be patient. “Do not celebrate my pain too early I shall be vindicated