A few weeks to the August 9 presidential election, former Mathira Member of Parliament who is now the deputy president of the republic of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua made a startling announcement.
He announced that his frozen accounts would be released if he and then Deputy President William Ruto won the elections
According to Gachagua, he would recover the money that was frozen in 2020 and use it to build a luxury home.
The money was part of Sh. 12.5 billion that passed through his bank accounts, and which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission believes was from corruption and money laundering through Rafiki Microfinance. Gachagua was a director at the microfinance institution.
“You know (Uhuru’s) government froze my account. When we take power, I will take my money back and I will come and build a home here in Kieni so that you can come to visit me. I will build a nice house and also a nice place,” Gachagua had said during a political forum in Kieni.
Gachagua had added that he was aiming to construct the luxury home where men will have a fireside chat with him as women engage his wife Dorcas.
“I put up a good house and a small house ya wazee ya kuchomea nyama as they take their favourite drinks as we chat – sawa?”
Rigathi Gachagua and the multi-billion money laundering scandal
“Then for women I put up a place where they can be visiting Mama Gachagua to take porridge as they sing and praise. And because women love dancing I will install a kinanda for dancing to,” Gachagua had said.
The High Court eventually ordered that he surrenders the money to the State seeing that it was proceeds of corruption. The big question now is, will he recover it?
