Ichung’wah claims Gachagua bought Olive Garden Hotel, Vipingo Beach Resort using proxies

National Assembly Majority Leader and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah has raised concerns regarding the ownership and legitimacy of several properties linked to under-fire Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday during the DP’s impeachment hearing, Ichung’wah challenged claims made by Gachagua regarding the ownership of Olive Garden Hotel and Vipingo Beach Resorts, two of several properties at the centre of the second-in-command’s removal push.

Gachagua has maintained that the properties are part of his family’s assets and the estate of his late brother Nderitu Gachagua and not used to channel proceeds of crime as suggested by his political detractors.

Ichung’wah, however, painted a different picture, accusing Gachagua of using proxies to conceal his ownership of these properties.

He first focused on the Olive Garden Hotel, which he argued had been sold to a third party, but with significant ties to Gachagua himself.

According to the Majority Leader, the hotel was sold by the joint executors of the will of the late Governor Nderitu Gachagua, a position held by Gachagua, advocate Njoroge Regeru, and Mwai Mathenge.

Ichung’wah further pointed to a legal document filed in June 2024 that suggested the will’s executors made decisions independently, except in Gachagua’s case, where he had a dual role as both a beneficiary and an executor.

“If you read the report filed in court on June 27, 2024, by the joint will executors, it says that the joint will executors will make decisions independent of the beneficiaries and without influence from any beneficiary, except for one who is both a beneficiary and an executor. The joint will executors do not have the same attributes and mandates as for trustees where beneficiaries would play a part in assisting in decision making,” he said.

“What this is saying is that Rigathi Gachagua as a joint will executor was also a beneficiary of the estate of his late brother. He was not only a joint will executor; he was a beneficiary and purchaser for the value of the estate of his late brother.”

The National Assembly Majority Leader further claimed that the property had been transferred to a man named Peterson Njomo Muchira, a figure who he identified as a direct proxy of the DP.

Muchira, who had previously contested for the Gichugu Constituency MP seat, was described by Ichung’wah as a permanent fixture in Gachagua’s office, further suggesting that the deal was orchestrated to obscure the DP's ownership.

“I called Muchira this afternoon when I saw this document and asked him whether TM Civil Engineering Limited is his company and he confirmed to me that it is indeed his company. I therefore want to tell you Olive Gardens was purchased through the proxy of Peterson Njomo Muchira with zero shares and TM Civil Engineering Limited with 6,000 shares,” he said.  

“Those who have visited the Annex House Office of the DP know Muchira is a permanent fixture in the office of the DP and therefore his direct proxy.”

Turning his attention to Vipingo Beach Resorts in Kilifi County, Ichung’wah claimed that Gachagua had misled the public regarding the property’s ownership.

Gachagua had previously told Kenyans in a televised interview that the property was still owned by his family, but according to Ichung’wah, this was untrue.

He pointed out that the official records show that the property is owned by Keith Rigathi and Kevin Gachagua, both of whom are listed as directors and shareholders of the resort

“The owners listed are Keith Rigathi, Kevin Gachagua Rigathi and the estate of the deceased, James Nderitu Gachagua,” said Ichung’wah.  

“It is a rather ingenious way of trying to hide behind the estate of his late brother. How shameful that the DP would hide behind the veil of the estate of his late brother to disguise what is outright proceeds of crime because he is the purchaser of this property and that is why his two sons are listed as directors and shareholders of Vipingo Beach Resort.”

Ichung’wah added: “Vipingo Beach Resort was founded on August 5, 2008. I would guess if Keith Gachagua is 31 years old today, at the time this company was registered, he was only 15 or 14 years old, he cannot be listed as a director. His younger brother might have been 12 or 13.”