The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made explosive, unsubstantiated allegations linking President William Ruto to the late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, claiming the tycoon had been holding money on the President’s behalf and was allegedly involved in a scheme to influence Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an engagement with clergy in Boston, United States, Gachagua alleged that Chivayo — who died alongside his wife and four others in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe on Wednesday — had business dealings with Ruto, though he offered no evidence to support his claims.
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Gachagua claimed that, during his time as Deputy President, he had been aware of the alleged business relationship between Ruto and Chivayo, whom he described as a Zimbabwean “crook.” He further alleged that Chivayo had been used for money laundering, claiming the businessman would receive dollar payments, fly into a private airstrip, and hold the funds on Ruto’s behalf.
Gachagua went on to allege that Chivayo was in possession of more than Sh1.5 trillion belonging to Ruto at the time of his death, suggesting confusion now surrounds the fate of those funds following the deaths of both Chivayo and his wife.
The former Deputy President provided no documentary evidence to back these claims, and they could not be independently verified.
Gachagua further attempted to tie Chivayo to an alleged plot to interfere with Kenya’s 2027 election, claiming the businessman had ties to election-related technology arrangements. He described Chivayo as an expert in election manipulation across Africa, alleging that the businessman was positioned to serve as a local agent for a South Korean technology firm he claimed was intended to supply election-related systems for Kenya’s next polls. Gachagua alleged that tender specifications had been tailored to favour this unnamed South Korean company, with Chivayo acting as the intermediary meant to help manipulate the vote. He offered no evidence connecting Chivayo to any such election interference plan.
Chivayo, a well-known and politically connected Zimbabwean businessman, died alongside his wife, Lucy Muteke, and four others when their helicopter crashed in the Marondera Rural area east of Harare on Wednesday. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa later confirmed his death. Zimbabwean authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with preliminary findings suggesting fuel spilled on impact before a fire broke out at the scene; the exact cause remains undetermined.
Chivayo was widely recognized for his political connections across the continent and had publicly interacted with several African leaders, including President Ruto.
Gachagua suggested that Chivayo’s death had left Ruto frustrated, framing the businessman as central to both the alleged financial arrangement and the purported election scheme. He distanced himself from any involvement in the crash, stating that he was in the United States at the time and had nothing to do with the incident, which occurred in Zimbabwe.
As of publication, neither President Ruto nor his representatives had publicly responded to Gachagua’s latest allegations.
