NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo held more than KSh1.5 trillion on behalf of President William Ruto and was involved in an alleged plan to influence Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
Gachagua made the claims while addressing clergy in Boston, United States, days after Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke, died in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe.
The former Deputy President did not provide documentary evidence during his address to support the allegations, and there is no independent evidence publicly establishing that Chivayo held money belonging to President Ruto or was involved in an election-manipulation scheme.
Gachagua said Chivayo had business dealings with Ruto and alleged that the businessman had been used to move and store money outside Kenya.
“They were doing business together, and he is a man he has been using for money laundering,” Gachagua claimed.
He alleged that money was received in US dollars and transported by aircraft to private airstrips before being held by Chivayo.
Gachagua further claimed that Chivayo was holding more than KSh1.5 trillion belonging to Ruto when he died.
“The man has his money, over 1.5 trillion. The man is dead, his wife is dead, he doesn’t know where to begin,” he alleged.
The claims could not independently be verified.
Gachagua links Chivayo to 2027 election technology
Gachagua also sought to connect Chivayo to allegations he has previously made about Kenya’s preparations for the 2027 General Election.
He alleged that Chivayo was involved in an arrangement under which election technology from a South Korean company would be introduced into Kenya and claimed the businessman was expected to act as an intermediary.
“So this guy was a local agent for those fellows. So this is the man he was to use to steal the vote. The guy is dead,” Gachagua claimed.
He also alleged that tender specifications had been designed to favour an unnamed South Korean company.
Those claims build on allegations Gachagua had already made in August about the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s procurement of an Integrated Elections Management System.
At the time, Gachagua alleged that the tender process was designed to favour South Korean firm Miru Systems. IEBC rejected the allegations, saying no company had been awarded the tender and that the procurement process was open and transparent.
IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the allegations were unsubstantiated and rejected claims that the tender specifications had been tailored for Miru Systems.
The commission later moved to amend and republish the tender following a challenge before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
There is no evidence publicly establishing that Chivayo was involved in the Kenyan election-technology procurement.
Ruto and Chivayo had a documented relationship
Gachagua’s allegations come against the backdrop of a publicly documented relationship between Ruto and Chivayo.
Chivayo repeatedly posted photographs and videos of his meetings with the Kenyan president, including encounters at State House, State Lodges and Ruto’s private residence in Kilgoris.
In August, Chivayo filmed Ruto personally driving him towards a helipad at the President’s Intonna Heritage Farm in Kilgoris, where the businessman had attended the traditional engagement ceremony of Ruto’s daughter, Charlene.
Chivayo also publicly described some of his meetings with Ruto as business and investment discussions, including a January 2025 meeting at State House that he said involved renewable energy.
The repeated encounters had attracted public attention in Kenya well before Chivayo’s death.
After the helicopter crash, Ruto publicly described Chivayo as a “dear friend”, saying he would remember him for his friendship, energy and belief in Africa’s potential.
The public relationship between the two men, however, does not by itself establish Gachagua’s allegations of financial wrongdoing or election interference.
Chivayo dies in Zimbabwe helicopter crash
Chivayo, 43, and his wife were among six people killed when their helicopter crashed in the Marondera area, east of Harare, on September 30.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed Chivayo’s death and paid tribute to the businessman.
Zimbabwean aviation authorities said preliminary findings showed that fuel spilled after the impact and a fire subsequently broke out. Investigators had not established what caused the helicopter to crash.
The crash investigation remains separate from Gachagua’s allegations about Chivayo’s alleged activities in Kenya.
Gachagua denies involvement in Chivayo’s death
Gachagua also addressed speculation surrounding Chivayo’s death, distancing himself from any suggestion that he had played a role in the crash.
“William Ruto, please don’t blame Riggy G. I didn’t kill this guy. I was in the United States. The accident happened in Zimbabwe. Surely I have nothing to do with it,” he said.
The remarks came as questions surrounding Chivayo’s business and political connections intensified following his death.
Chivayo was a prominent Zimbabwean businessman whose profile extended beyond the country through his relationships with senior political figures and his involvement in major energy and infrastructure projects.
His public association with Ruto had become particularly visible in 2026, including appearances at State House and private events involving the President’s family.
Allegations remain unproven
Neither the alleged KSh1.5 trillion held by Chivayo nor the alleged money-laundering arrangement has been independently established.
There is also no publicly available evidence establishing that Chivayo was part of a plan to manipulate Kenya’s 2027 election.
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President Ruto had publicly acknowledged his friendship with Chivayo following the businessman’s death, but had not, at the time of publication, publicly responded to Gachagua’s latest allegations about money or election interference.
Gachagua, meanwhile, remains one of the prominent political figures challenging the Ruto administration ahead of the 2027 election.
His latest allegations are therefore likely to intensify scrutiny of Chivayo’s dealings and his previously documented access to Kenya’s political leadership.
For now, however, the claims remain allegations and would require documentary, financial or other independent evidence before they can be treated as established facts.
