Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are tracking cash transactions to establish whether Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua was the conduit by which William Ruto embezzled public funds. Gachagua was arrested after detectives established that he used proxies to secure tenders using 22 companies with him as the sole beneficiary.
Rigathi Gachagua
He was released on police bond. According to highly placed sources, the detectives believe Gachagua was being used by the deputy president to raise money for the DP’s 2022 presidential bid. They believe the Sh12.5 billion allegedly channeled to Gachagua’s accounts from the public coffers ended up in Ruto’s foreign and local bank accounts or is stashed in his Sugoi and Karen residences. Last week, in a lengthy post on his social media page, the embattled MP revealed that the detectives picked him from his private office at around 4 pm and told him he was under investigation for dealing with Sh12.4 billion in seven years but he told them that he had never seen a billion shillings in his lifetime. Gachagua also refuted claims that he had influenced the awarding of tenders to himself and his associates saying all the businesses he conducted over the past 20 years were legitimate.
Mwangi Kiunjuri
But sources revealed that the detectives are not convinced by his story and are combing his bank transactions to establish who received money from Sh7.3 billion the MP allegedly withdrew and disbursed to various companies. Those who have been questioned by police include Ruto’s allies such as Meru senator Mithika Linturi, former cabinet secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and Laikipia senator John Kinyua. They are all said to have received millions of shillings from the suspicious accounts for 2022 presidential succession facilitation. For Kiunjuri, who was four months ago sacked by Uhuru Kenyatta as Agriculture cabinet secretary over his links with Ruto, the detectives have established that some of the accounts the money was deposited belonged to him and the deposits were made when he served as CS. The suspicious payments were first made to Gachagua from the National Irrigation Board, under Kiunjuri, before a huge chunk of the money was transferred to the CS’s account for what they suspect was onward transmission to the deputy president.
John Kinyua
The sources added that Kinyua is also being targeted for his support for Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid and is suspected to have been using the kitty to mobilize support for the DP in Laikipia. Kinyua was among legislators de-whipped from committees’ positions for their support for Ruto. He was removed from the influential senate devolution committee and moved to the ICT committee to replace West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio who was named senate majority leader in the purge where Ruto allies were the target. Kinyua and Laikipia county assembly speaker Patrick Waigwa have been leading leaders in the area in rooting for Ruto to pick Kiunjuri as his running mate in the 2022 presidential contest. Kiunjuri was Laikipia East MP for three terms and an assistant minister before he was elevated as cabinet secretary by Uhuru. The senator was also among disgruntled Jubilee party legislators who in the company of Ruto stormed the party’s headquarters when the president was in France.
Mithika Linturi
Back to Gachagua, he has denied transacting over Sh12.5 billion through his accounts in the last seven years, terming it a political witchhunt. The MP denied ever being in possession of such money, or even ever possessing Sh1 billion in his life. Already, three of his accounts at Rafiki Micro Finance have been frozen by the Assets Recovery Agency. They held Sh202 million, Sh165 million and Sh35 million while two others had Sh1.1 million and Sh700, 000. But the MP in his defence, claims he is a renowned businessman and started business ventures long before he became Uhuru’s aide during the 2002 election when Uhuru vied for the presidency but lost to Mwai Kibaki of National Rainbow Coalition. Gachagua served as Uhuru’s personal assistant when he was the Minister for Local Government. From 1990 to 1999, he served as a district officer in various stations. Gachagua claims he is being harassed and intimidated by ‘the system’ over his firm stand on the 2022 succession where he supports Ruto.
He claimed that his arrest was connected to the poor reception the president got when he toured his constituency where only a handful of residents turned up to welcome the head of state. The MP claims top government officials led by Interior principal secretary Karanja Kibicho blamed him for what took place at Giagatika trading centre where residents of Mathira kept off the president’s function, with only about 50 turning up. The MP claimed the mobilization of residents was conducted by two neighbouring MPs – Nyeri Town’s Ngunjiri Wambugu and Kieni’s Kanini Kega. According to documents filed in court by ARA, the MP started receiving the huge sums after the Jubilee administration rode into power in 2013. He was then in business, with the flagship being Ridor Group of Companies. ARA states he received funds from the Ministry of Lands, state department for planning, ministry of Health, Bungoma county government, Mathira CDF, Nyeri county government and NIB.
Patrick Waigwa
The MP is the brother of the late Nderitu Gachagua, the first Nyeri governor who died in office in 2017. The documents show on July 4, 2014, a firm identified as Specific Supplies Ltd and whose directors remain unknown received Sh64.75 million in two tranches from the ministry of Lands and Housing. The firm was first paid Sh12.75 million and another Sh52 million the same day. Four days later, the entire cash was wired to Gachagua’s personal account at Rafiki Microfinance Bank. According to the ARA documents, another firm known as Encartar Diagnostics Limited received Sh50 million from Bungoma county on June 10, 2015. Three days later, on June 13, Sh35 million was wired into Gachagua’s account. At the time, Bungoma county was making payments to Encartar Diagnostics Ltd.
Nderitu Gachagua
Gachagua is a close business associate of one Anne Kimemia, trading as Jenne Enterprises Ltd.
The officer said Jenne Enterprises is involved in complex money laundering schemes with Gachagua and at least three of his associated companies. The listed firms are Wamunyoro Investment Ltd, Technical Supplies and Services (K) Ltd and Crystal Kenya Ltd. ARA says that on July 15, 2015, Jenne Enterprises received Sh30 million from Rafiki Micro Finance Bank disguised as loan disbursement. But on the same day, the firm wired Sh28.5 million to Wamunyoro Investment Ltd where Gachagua is a director and shareholder. Towards the 2017 polls on April 3, the documents show Jenne Enterprises also transferred Sh10 million to Wamunyoro Investment Ltd. The following day, the same firm wired to Gachagua’s personal account another Sh5 million. The agency says the money movements were designed to conceal, disguise and hide the nature, source movement and depositing of the funds.
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