'Everyone is now planning for my money,' DP Gachagua speaks after State releases his Ksh.200M

Speaking on Thursday, in his usual element, a visibly elated Gachagua seized the moment to take a dig at the previous government, stating that his money "which had been taken by the Uhuru government" had been handed back to him and that everyone was now fighting for a share of the pie.

"This morning I have received more than 200 invitations to attend harambees. The Uhuru government had taken my money and it was released yesterday. Now everybody is planning for that money. That is the world we live in...," said Gachagua at the closing ceremony of the Post-Election Seminar for the Members of the National Assembly in Mombasa.

He added: "Kila mtu ananialika harambee because it sounds like a lot of money."

Gachagua had lost the Ksh.200 million in court-frozen funds to the State in late July last year after the High Court determined he could not prove how he obtained the money.

However, on Wednesday, the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) said that after gathering new evidence, they found out that the money forfeited to the State six months ago was not proceeds of crime and that the now Deputy President had explained the source and legitimacy of the said money to satisfaction.

Following the determination by the Asset Recovery Agency, the Court of Appeal vacated the forfeiture order issued by the High Court last year and also set aside the said judgment of the High Court.

The frozen funds were held in three accounts at Rafiki Microfinance Bank in the name of Rigathi Gachagua. One of the accounts contained Ksh.165 million, a second account held Ksh.35 million and the other had Ksh.773,228.

The court also directed that some Ksh.1,138,142, held in a fourth registered in the name of Jenne Enterprises be released.

Last year, during the election period Gachagua said that one of his dreams when he becomes Deputy President would be to recover the frozen money after the government questioned the source of Ksh.12.5 billion that passed through his bank accounts.