Gachagua, Karua Declare Their Wealth On Deputy Presidential Debate
The presidential running mates of Deputy President William Ruto, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, and Raila Odinga, Martha Karua, have personal fortunes of Ksh.800 million and Ksh.150 million, respectively.
The revelations were made during the deputy presidential debate on Tuesday at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA).
During the event, Gachagua dismissed Karua’s claims that he obtained his wealth fraudulently. Karua had previously made the allegations based on the fact that three of Gachagua’s personal accounts at Rafiki Microfinance Bank were frozen in May 2020 on suspicion of money laundering.
Gachagua, on the other hand, refuted Karua’s claims, going on to explain the source of his wealth, which he says he earned as an astute businessman years before becoming a heavy hitter in Mt. Kenya politics.
“My account did not receive Ksh.5 billion; this is false information. My financial situation is well documented. This is money I earned during Mwai Kibaki’s reign, when the economy was thriving. I earned over Ksh.200 million and invested it in an account, which has been running for the past eight years “He stated.
Gachagua also explained how he obtained the Ksh.200 million currently held in his frozen accounts, claiming that he amassed it over the course of his career.
“The money is held in a frozen account with a value of $200 million. Ksh.64 million from the Ministry of Lands and Settlement, Ksh.10 million from Kenya Power, Ksh.33 million from the Ministry of Livestock, and another Ksh.46 million from an organization called Batek… I am worth Ksh.800 million less the Ksh.200 million they have in their possession “He stated.
Karua, for her part, stated that she was worth Ksh.150 million, which is Ksh.94 million more than the wealth she declared in 2013 in the run-up to the General Election.
“I believe it is around Ksh.150 million, because the Ksh.56 million I declared in 2013 has increased due to inflation. I have not received any new properties. I have no desire for land. I have no desire for worldly goods. If you’re looking for Martha Karua to become a billionaire, I’m not interested “She stated.
She went on to say that public officials’ asset declarations are a powerful tool for preventing corruption and detecting illicit enrichment among corrupt government officials.
“I believe that as leaders, we must be accountable, which is why there is a declaration of wealth so that when you enter office, people know how much you are worth, and when you leave, they can monitor and see how you are progressing, whether it is your salary or business,” he said.
