I used to organize discos, MP Gachagua reveals sources of his wealth

I used to organize discos, MP Gachagua reveals sources of his wealth

Rigathi Gachagua, the Mathira MP, has denied claims that a portion of his fortune stems from business dealings with Nyeri County during his brother Nderitu Gachagua’s stint as governor.

On Tuesday, the legislator told Citizen TV’s News Night that he has never done business with the county and invited anyone with proof to show it.

“We never did any business with Nyeri county, we were never going to do it, and I want people to stop pursing my brother when he is resting, let him rest in peace,” the MP said on Tuesday night. “Anyone who has evidence that we did business with the county, bring it on”

The MP explained his fortune by saying he had dabbled in several businesses over the last 40 years, including organising discos, doing business with the National Government and owning a candy factory.

“I’m a prudent businessman, I started doing business 40 years ago. At the university we used to get Ksh.2600 as boom, I would organize discos and pick half of the money from these guys; I had a car, I had a factory for sweets,” he added.

The MP was also pressed to confront a court case in which some Ksh.202 million from his bank accounts was frozen due to allegations of public funds embezzlement.

The account was frozen to allow the police to investigate the source of the Ksh.12.5 billion that flowed through his accounts, according to the DCI.

Rigathi is suspected of using proxies to fraudulently secure tenders through 22 companies, with himself as the sole beneficiary.

Detectives had already visited 5 counties, government parastatals, and his own National Government Constituency Development Fund, where he is suspected of fraudulently winning tenders using 22 companies, as of October 2020.

However, the MP claims that there is mischief in his current woes, which stems from his support of Deputy President William Ruto.

“Why did they not pursue me when I was supporting President Uhuru? When I was his PA?,” the MP posed “I have done legitimate businesses with the National Government and other people, when the matter comes up for mentioning next month, I will account for every cent I have made,”

An investigation file obtained by Citizen TV last year revealed that two hairdressers and a former mobile money transfer agent were awarded multimillion-shilling tenders for the National Government and the Mathira Constituency CDF.

Gachagua, on the other hand, claimed that the transactions are not fraudulent.

“These people who are being accused of being nobodies and have done a lot of business were my employees previously. I have empowered and mentored them and made them grow,” Gachagua said.

According to detectives, two companies were paid Ksh.150 million, and a large portion of the money was then transferred to entities owned by the MP, with the DCI focusing on medical supplies to hospitals in five counties and transactions with government firms, including parastatals.

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