- Rigathi Gachagua intensified his attacks on President William Ruto, claiming that the close associates of the Head of State are at the center of the complex Minnesota fraud scandal
- Gachagua accused Ruto of protecting powerful people, claiming money stolen from the US was sent to Kenya and invested in land, houses and shopping malls
- He directly appealed to the US President Donald Trump to avoid the process of returning them to Kenya and to take unilateral measures against the suspects
- He further alleged that some of the revenue was linked to political patronage and importation of duty-free rice which crippled local farmers.
Former vice president Rigathi Gachagua has increased his war of words against President William Ruto, accusing close associates of the country’s leader of being at the center of the fraud scandal in Minnesota.
Source: Facebook
The leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) claimed that people associated with Ruto they were involved in the theft of funds meant to help people in Minnesota, the money he said was later sent to Kenya and invested in high value assets.
What is Gachagua asking for Trump?
During a church service on Sunday, January 4, at AIPCA Kiratina, the former deputy president accused Ruto of publicly declaring a strong stance on crime while quietly protecting powerful people within his inner circle.
He claimed that the president’s recent rhetoric against drugs and corruption was undermined by what he described as law enforcement that shuns accomplices and punishes critics.
Gachagua dragged the US into Kenya’s domestic political debate, urging the US president Donald Trump ignore Kenyan legal processes and take decisive action against those involved.
In his speech, Gachagua made a direct appeal to Trump to ignore what he described as the compromised process of returning prisoners to Kenya and instead take unilateral measures.
“So we ask you, Trump, don’t bother with the process of bringing him back to Kenya. Just do what you did in Venezuela: send your people and planes, come and get the person, pick him up, charge him a fee, send the money back there, sell the store, and let this person stop bothering us,” the former DP said.
He referred to the recent operation in Venezuela that saw President Nicolas Maduro arrested, saying Washington should use a similar approach in dealing with suspects linked to the Minnesota scandal who are allegedly operating from Kenya.
“Trump, to be kind to this country, to intervene on our behalf, to ignore the process and do what he just did in Venezuela. Kenyans will be grateful. And if possible, he should do it as early as this week. He should not be late,” he added.
Is the government of Kenya Kwanza linked to the Minnesota scandal?
According to Gachagua, the money stolen from Minnesota was transferred to Kenya, where it was used to acquire land, build residential houses and develop shopping malls.
He claimed that the US authorities have discovered the plan and started tracking those involved, even if some of the alleged beneficiaries continue to enjoy political and economic protection at home.
“The money was stolen and brought to Kenya. It was used to buy land, build houses and build supermarkets. The American authorities have now discovered this and have started looking for those involved. Some of the money was allegedly given to the President to finance the UDA campaign. There is a shop in Eastleigh that was built using this money. The owner of the shop is a business partner of the President,” Gachagua said.
The former DP suggested that the same network continues to benefit from government protection and lucrative government-linked businesses.
Gachagua linked the businessman to the ongoing outcry over the massive importation of rice, which he said has crippled farmers in Mwea and parts of Western Kenya.
He claimed that about 500,000 tons of imported rice was earmarked for importation by the same person he accused of taking advantage of Minnesota funds.
The former deputy chief said that duty-free imports of rice and sugar had been used as economic weapons to destroy local producers.
Source: UGC
Gachagua claimed there were behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent any attempt to take the suspects to the United States.
“However, yesterday the president was reported to be busy planning how the courts will prevent those people from being taken. There is a process called transfer. The president is planning for court orders to be issued to prevent them from leaving, and you will see those orders being issued, because the owner of the shop has been targeted by the United States,” the former DP claimed.
He claimed that plans were already underway to obtain court orders that would prevent those under investigation from leaving the country.
Gachagua said that quick intervention would help recover stolen funds, break what he called exploitative business networks, and reduce the pressure local farmers are facing due to cheap imports.
He went further to suggest that Kenyans already knew the whereabouts of the man at the center of his allegations, stressing that concrete measures would be welcome.
“That person is in Eastleigh; we can tell you where he is. Send a plane to pick him up, like he did when he picked up the president of the country. That’s what we want him to do. And if Kasongo is also found to be involved in this matter, the plane can pick him up too,” Gachagua said.
What was Gachagua’s message for the New Year?
As previously reported, Gachagua delivered his New Year 2026 message to Kenyans on Wednesday, December 31, wishing them blessings, happiness, and God’s grace.
He expressed hope that Kenya would make great strides in freeing itself from what he described as an “untrustworthy regime” in the next 20 months.
Gachagua did not hold back from criticizing Ruto’s administration, accusing it of causing a lot of suffering.
He highlighted allegations of police brutality, political assassinations, mismanagement of national assets, reckless borrowing, punitive taxes, failing public services, and corruption.
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