Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is once again at the center of controversy after emerging details revealed how he leveraged his office to muscle his way into private business deals using coercion, threats, and political intimidation.
One of the most glaring cases involves the smart meter supply tender awarded during the Uhuru Kenyatta administration. A businessman who legitimately won the contract is now the subject of Gachagua’s public attacks. But behind the scenes, sources familiar with the dealings reveal a different story. While still Deputy President, Gachagua reportedly called the businessman and pressured him to subcontract his own son—Gachagua Jnr—into the project. The son, according to insiders, was merely a placeholder for the real beneficiary: Gachagua himself.
The businessman, out of fear of political reprisals, allowed the Deputy President’s son into the deal. But when Gachagua was later impeached, the businessman swiftly ended the arrangement and regained full control of his operations—triggering Gachagua’s recent smear campaign as an act of vengeance.
This wasn’t the only time Gachagua used strong-arm tactics. In another case involving sugar imports before the sector was reformed, Gachagua secured one of the largest import allocations. But unable to manage the logistical demands, he turned to the same businessman and asked him to handle the work. The catch? All profits were to be funneled back to Gachagua. The businessman did the heavy lifting—Gachagua reaped the rewards.
Even more alarming is that this coercive style wasn’t limited to individuals. Supermarket owners across the country have reportedly been receiving threats to support specific political narratives—or risk being targeted by hired goons.
Gachagua’s attempt to rewrite history and paint himself as a clean operator is fast collapsing under the weight of these revelations. His appetite for power and wealth appears to have been matched only by the intimidation he unleashed to get his way.
As more insiders speak out, a clear pattern is emerging: one of a politician who used the power of the state not to serve, but to threaten and enrich himself.
