DP Gachagua: How Uhuru gov't officials stole Ksh.16B before handover to President Ruto

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sensationally stated that officials from the previous administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta stole Ksh.16 billion in the period leading to the handover to President William Ruto’s government.

Speaking on Friday evening at a hotel in Nairobi where he attended a meeting with professionals from Tetu, Nyeri County, the Deputy President said the monies were being ferried in cartons and flown in choppers to certain individuals' homes.

Gachagua pointed out that Ksh.10 billion was stolen during the Presidential election petition, and Ksh.6 billion just two days before the August 9th election.

“Two days before the elections, they stole Ksh.6 billion and pretended to sell some shares from Telkom. When there was a case before the Supreme Court, they stole another Ksh.10 billion purportedly to pay some contractors.

“Money was being brought in cartons at Wilson Airport and flown in choppers to people's homes. And these are the people now unaskia wanaambiwa kuja andika statement kidogo, anaingia ndege anatoroka. And these people, who are thieves, were calling others thieves. They ripped this country…. They took everything,” said the deputy president.

Gachagua went ahead to blame the alleged wanton theft of public funds for the current dire state of the economy.

He reiterated that the Kenya Kwanza government inherited a dilapidated economy from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.

“I said during my inauguration about the country we inherited... some people thought I was being mischievous. We inherited a dilapidated country, the coffers were empty, the stores were empty, not even rats were there because there was nothing to eat,” said the DP.

“We have started building this country from scratch. All the good work that President Mwai Kibaki did in 10 years was totally destroyed. All the good work Kibaki did of building a strong economy, of having thriving businesses, of allowing people to trade freely, of making sure there is money circulating in the economy, all of it was destroyed especially during the handshake era.”

He said domestic borrowing from commercial banks at high-interest rates also contributed to the strain on the economy adding that the Kenya Kwanza administration has put a stop to this

“Domestic borrowing to commercial banks charged high rates because the borrowers were owners of the same banks and couldn't negotiate interest to be charged. Domestic borrowing has been stopped with immediate effect to enable the country to recover,” he said.

He however noted there was hope and that the Ruto administration would fix the economy.

“I want to give you hope. Before we came into power we were blacklisted by international lenders but now everything is okay for we have been given a thumbs up,” noted the DP

 The dinner with Tetu professionals showcased different investment opportunities in the constituency ranging from Agribusiness to manufacturing and innovation.