Kenya Vice Presidential Nominee To Pay Back $1.7M

A Kenyan court has ordered vice presidential nominee Rigathi Gachagua to repay $1.7 million which it determined were the proceeds of corruption, according to local media reports.

High Court Judge Esther Maina ruled the money came from government agencies but there was no evidence that Gachagua had supplied any goods or services, the Business Daily newspaper reported.

Gachugua said the judgment was intended to undermine his candidacy in the Aug. 9 election on presidential candidate William Ruto’s ticket, adding that he has instructed his lawyers to appeal, claiming Maina had refused his lawyers’ bid to challenge the evidence brought against him.

Ruto is the deputy president under current President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has denounced Ruto’s candidacy and backed veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga instead. Ruto and Odinga, the favorites on the ballot, have both pledged to stamp out corruption if elected.

Gachagua’s accounts were frozen in 2020 following a request by the government’s Asset Recovery Agency.

Gachagua, a first-time lawmaker and former government administrator, told a campaign meeting in late June that if elected, he will unfreeze the cash and build a rural home to host his supporters for entertainment sessions over roasted meat and porridge.