Former Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made allegations that late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo was holding more than KSh1.5 trillion on behalf of President William Ruto when he died in a helicopter crash last week. Gachagua made these claims while speaking to members of the clergy in Boston, United States, on Sunday, October 4. He stated that he knew about business dealings between Ruto and Chivayo from his time as the President's deputy.
According to Gachagua, Chivayo had been used to move and hold money for Ruto, receiving funds in dollars, traveling by plane to private airstrips, and keeping the money on the President's behalf. Gachagua alleged that Chivayo was involved in money laundering for Ruto. He claimed that Chivayo had been holding more than KSh1.5 trillion when he died, and that the businessman had been a key figure in Ruto's financial dealings.
Gachagua did not provide documentary evidence to support his allegations, and the claim that Chivayo was holding the money for Ruto has not been independently verified. Kenyan media reporting on the remarks noted that neither Ruto nor his representatives had publicly responded to the allegation at the time of publication. Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe's Marondera area on September 30, alongside other people aboard the aircraft.
Zimbabwean authorities confirmed that there were no survivors of the crash, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa later confirmed Chivayo's death. Gachagua sought to distance himself from any suggestion that he had a role in the crash, stating that he was in the United States when the accident occurred in Zimbabwe and insisting that neither he nor opposition leaders were responsible.
Gachagua further alleged that Chivayo had been involved in a plan connected to Kenya's 2027 presidential election. He claimed that the Zimbabwean businessman was expected to act as a local intermediary for a South Korean technology company and that tender specifications had been prepared to favour the company. However, Gachagua did not provide evidence for this allegation.
The allegations have drawn political criticism in Kenya, with Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, a close ally of Ruto, dismissing Gachagua's claims and questioning the allegation that such a large amount could have been moved and held in the manner described. The dispute remains centered on competing political claims, with Gachagua presenting the allegations as information he says he knew while serving as deputy president.
The KSh1.5 trillion figure remains an allegation made by Gachagua rather than an established amount of money linked to Ruto or Chivayo. No evidence confirming the existence, ownership, or location of such funds has been publicly presented in connection with Gachagua's remarks. Chivayo had previously faced scrutiny and allegations surrounding his business and political activities, although he denied wrongdoing.
Key points
- Gachagua alleges Chivayo held over KSh1.5 trillion for Ruto before his death.
- Gachagua's claims have not been independently verified.
- The allegations have drawn political criticism in Kenya.
