Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has stirred up fresh political heat after making a series of serious allegations linking the late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo to President William Ruto. The claims, made while speaking to clergy in Boston, United States, have spread quickly on social media and left many Kenyans asking one big question: is there any truth in it?
It is important to say from the start that these are allegations. They come from Gachagua himself, and none of the reports we have seen so far came with documents, bank records or any other proof to back them up.
According to the reports, Gachagua told the religious leaders that Chivayo acted as a proxy for the President. He alleged that the businessman helped to hold and move large amounts of foreign currency on Ruto's behalf. He went further and claimed that Chivayo used private planes and airstrips to collect millions of dollars in cash. In his telling, the businessman was a kind of trusted keeper of money that was not his.
Then came the figure that has shocked many people: Sh1.5 trillion. Gachagua linked Chivayo's death to the loss of access to this huge amount of money. One report put it plainly, saying the figure is now circulating in public discussion. To put it in perspective, Sh1.5 trillion is more than what many Kenyans can even imagine. It is a sum that runs into the same range as large portions of the national budget. That alone is why many people are asking for proof before they believe it.
Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died together with four other people in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe on September 30. The news of the accident shook people on both sides of the border. Chivayo was a well-known businessman in Zimbabwe, and he was also known in Kenyan circles for his links to powerful people. After the accident, President Ruto described him as a "dear friend" while mourning his death. That statement of friendship is now being picked up by Gachagua's supporters as proof of closeness, while others say a friendship is not the same as a financial arrangement.
The Boston remarks were not the only claims. In a separate set of statements, Gachagua tied the late businessman to the controversy around the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, popularly known as IEBC, and the 2027 General Election. He alleged that Chivayo had been positioned as a local agent in an arrangement involving the South Korean firm Miru Systems and the management of Kenya's next election.
Gachagua claimed that the alleged plan involved tailoring IEBC tender specifications to favour the South Korean company. In his own words, as reported, he said Chivayo was a local agent for those people and that this was the man who was supposed to be used to steal the vote. He added that the man is dead and that the one who is left is stuck and does not know where to begin. These are strong words, and again, they remain his allegations.
He also claimed that this explains why the President is angry. According to the former Deputy President, Ruto was relying on Chivayo in a scheme to influence the 2027 vote. That is a very heavy accusation against a sitting President, and it will need more than a speech in a foreign city to stand.
To understand why these remarks are getting so much attention, one has to look at the background. The claims come in the middle of an ongoing controversy over IEBC's procurement of an Integrated Elections Management System. Gachagua has previously accused the commission of favouring Miru Systems in that process. Kenyans have not forgotten the tension around election technology in past elections, and any talk of tenders and election systems quickly wakes up old suspicions. The commission has the duty to answer questions about how the procurement is being done, whether or not the new claims about Chivayo turn out to be true.
Social media reaction has been loud. One Facebook post by a popular Kenyan page carrying the claim that Chivayo died with the President's Sh1.5 trillion had hundreds of comments within hours. Some Kenyans reacted with anger and demanded investigations. Others laughed it off as political theatre, saying that such a huge amount of cash cannot be hidden in planes and airstrips without anyone noticing. A good number simply said they want to see evidence and not just speeches.
That last point is where the story stands at the moment. Gachagua is a seasoned politician and a known critic of the President. He is now on the opposite side of the political divide, and the 2027 race is already warming up. Politicians in Kenya, as everywhere, sometimes use big claims to shape public mood ahead of elections. That does not mean he is wrong, but it does mean Kenyans should listen carefully and ask for facts.
On the other side, a claim being unproven does not mean it should be ignored. If anyone has real information about large amounts of foreign currency being moved by private plane, there are institutions that exist to look into such matters. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Asset Recovery Agency are all there for this kind of case. If Gachagua has evidence, the right place for it is with the investigators and the courts, where it can be tested, and not only before a crowd.
From what we have seen in the reports, the Presidency has not given a detailed answer to the specific claims about the Sh1.5 trillion or the alleged election plan. We will update this story if and when State House, IEBC or Miru Systems respond. It is only fair that the people named get a chance to speak, especially when the accusations are this serious.
There is also a human side to this story that should not be lost. Two people died in that helicopter crash, together with four others. Their families are mourning. While politicians trade accusations, the families are dealing with loss, and it is wise for all of us to remember that the dead cannot defend themselves against claims made about them.
Kenyans are now left with a loud allegation, a huge number and very little proof. The coming days will show whether this becomes a serious matter that investigators take up, or just another heated moment in the long road to 2027. Either way, the public has a right to ask questions, and leaders have a duty to answer them honestly.
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