Remarks made during a church gathering in Kiambu County on Sunday have stirred political debate after Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua made serious allegations against President William Ruto.
While addressing congregants at AIPCA Kiratina Church in Komothai, Githunguri Constituency, Gachagua claimed that the President benefited from money allegedly stolen from the United States and later brought into Kenya through property investments.
According to Gachagua, the funds were originally meant to support people living with disabilities in Minnesota. He alleged that the money was instead stolen through fraud schemes and then moved out of the United States.
He claimed that once the funds reached Kenya, they were invested in land, houses, and commercial buildings. He further alleged that part of the money was used to finance political campaigns.
Gachagua told the church audience that a shopping mall in Eastleigh was built using the stolen funds. He claimed that the mall belongs to a businessman who is closely linked to the President. He insisted that the issue was known to United States authorities and that investigations were already underway to trace the money and those involved.
“That money was meant to help people living with disabilities. It was stolen, brought to Kenya and invested in land, houses, and the construction of a mall,” Gachagua said. He added that the United States government was aware of where the money went and was now looking for it. He further claimed that some of the funds were allegedly used to support political campaigns in Kenya.
During the same address, Gachagua made a direct appeal to United States President Donald Trump. He urged American authorities to speed up the extradition of suspects linked to the alleged fraud.
He called for strong action, saying that court delays should not stand in the way of justice. He suggested that suspects should be picked up and prosecuted in the United States, though he did not provide evidence to support his claims.
Gachagua also alleged that President Ruto had been holding meetings to influence the courts in order to block possible extraditions. He claimed that injunctions were being sought to stop suspects from being sent to the United States.
However, he did not present proof to back these claims.
The allegations come at a time when United States federal agencies are intensifying investigations into large fraud cases linked to Minnesota. Authorities are probing schemes that allegedly involved the misuse of funds meant for public support programmes. These investigations have reportedly uncovered links to money laundering activities that extend beyond the United States.
On December 28 last year, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency had increased the number of investigators working in Minnesota. He stated that the FBI had deployed more personnel and resources to break up large fraud networks that exploit federal programmes.
He said such crimes are a major priority across the country.
Court documents related to the investigations have linked the alleged fraud to programmes such as Feeding Our Future and Housing Stabilisation Services. The documents indicate that some of the stolen money was used to buy expensive properties in Kenya.
These include apartment blocks in Nairobi’s Eastlands area and properties along the Kenyan coast. Kenyan authorities have not yet publicly responded to Gachagua’s claims.
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