Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed allegations by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse that he amassed wealth worth KSh 5.2 billion as "outrageous." Gachagua claimed that Mutuse was merely handed documents to sign, suggesting that if the lawmaker had reviewed them carefully, he could have avoided the embarrassment.
Speaking at a media briefing, the DP recounted being at his late brother's side, former Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua, when he passed away, leaving him and two others as executors of his will. "All the money linked to me comes from my late brother's estates, yet I'm being accused of having acquired it through criminal means," Gachagua said.
He explained that his role as an executor involves managing his late brother's properties, which include Olive Gardens Hotel and Queens Gate Serviced Apartments in Nairobi, Vipingo Beach Resort in Kilifi, and Treetops Hotel in Nyeri. "Mutuse is alleging that I acquired these properties after becoming Deputy President," he added.
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Gachagua called Mutuse's accusations the "most embarrassing claims" ever presented in Parliament. The DP is also facing charges of abuse of office and gross violation of the Constitution, which include the alleged purchase of Outspan Hotel in the Aberdares for KSh 535 million.
Mutuse's list of accusations also includes Gachagua's sudden acquisition of 40 acres of land in Kamburaini, Nyeri, where he reportedly built a helicopter landing pad, 80 acres of land in Meru, a dairy farm in Nyandarua, and property in Embakasi, Nairobi, allegedly bought through proxy companies.
