Gachagua reveals Ruto’s ‘business deals’ in Sudan, DRC, Serbia

By Newsflash Reporter

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has leveled explosive allegations against President William Ruto, accusing him of running clandestine business empires across Africa and Eastern Europe under the guise of official diplomacy and development programs.

Speaking during a hard-hitting interview with KTN News on Monday 7 April, 2025, night, Gachagua claimed Ruto has been involved in a gold smuggling and money laundering operation in Nairobi, allegedly in partnership with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander, General Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti.

Gold-laundering with Hemedti

“The President is in business with Hemedti. There’s a gold business being run through Nairobi,” Gachagua said. “It is not just gold – it is money laundering. Dirty money is being cleaned right here under the protection of the state. I raised these issues, and instead of addressing them, I was accused of insubordination.”

Gachagua alleged that these shadowy deals have compromised Kenya’s foreign policy and military decisions. “Why do you think our troops are in DRC?” he posed. “It’s not about peacekeeping. The President has personal commercial interests in Congo. That is why we have Kenyan soldiers dying in a conflict we have no business being in — just to protect private investments.”

Tree planting ‘deal’

In the same breath, Gachagua claimed that President Ruto’s grand 15-billion tree planting initiative was, in reality, a disguised laundering scheme meant to channel funds through backdoor deals. He said the initiative stalled after former Attorney General and Environment Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi refused to sign off on a suspicious USD 1 billion deal.

“The plan was to bypass the Treasury and route the money through the Ministry of Environment. Justin Muturi said no,” Gachagua revealed. “That’s when the whole tree planting thing went quiet. It was never about the environment. It was about laundering money.”

He added that the scandal reflected a broader pattern in Ruto’s leadership: “Everything is about deals — mega deals, business first, country second.”

Deal with Serbian President

Gachagua also disclosed that Ruto had entered a secretive business agreement with the President of Serbia during a closed-door meeting in Mombasa. He did not reveal the nature of the deal but hinted it involved large sums and questionable motives.

“What was that Serbian President doing in Mombasa? Why was it not public? I can tell you it was not diplomacy — it was business. A big deal was signed. But these things are hidden from Kenyans,” he stated.

The former DP, who was impeached in October 2024 following a bitter fallout with Ruto, accused the President of sidelining democratic institutions and using his office for personal enrichment. “This country is being run like a personal company. Cabinet Secretaries take orders from Farouk Kibet [Ruto’s PA], and billions are moved without scrutiny. That is why I refused to be part of it.”

Gachagua’s claims come amid growing speculation about corruption and factionalism within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

While State House has not responded to the allegations, the bombshell revelations are likely to deepen political tensions and raise calls for investigations into the President’s alleged offshore and local dealings.