I refused to help Ruto launder gold for Sudan warlord; Gachagua
I refused to help Ruto launder gold for Sudan warlord; Gachagua
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused President William Ruto of pressuring him to facilitate diplomatic visits for Sudanese paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, despite international sanctions against him.
Gachagua, during an interview with KTN, detailed an incident in 2023 when President Ruto allegedly summoned him to State House with an unusual request.
According to Gachagua, Ruto explained that, under diplomatic protocol, a president can only invite a fellow head of state for an official visit. Since Hemedti was serving as Sudan’s Vice President and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Ruto asked Gachagua to extend the invitation on his behalf.
“I signed that letter, and Hemedti came. We met and discussed Kenya and Sudan, but that was not the real purpose of the visit,” Gachagua said.
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He claimed that it later became apparent Hemedti was using Kenya to launder gold smuggled from conflict zones in Sudan, which was then allegedly sold in the Middle East to finance arms purchases.
Gachagua emphasised that the proceeds were used to further the war in Sudan, resulting in mass killings and the displacement of civilians.
“When it became clear to me that the international community had imposed sanctions on Hemedti for crimes against humanity, I refused to be part of it,” Gachagua said. “I told the President, ‘This man is a butcher of women and children. I am a father. I am a Christian. I will not invite him again.’”
Despite his refusal, Gachagua alleged that his signature was later forged to issue a second invitation to Hemedti.
“I confronted the president and told him that if this man lands in the country with a letter bearing my forged signature, I will publicly disown him,” he said.
According to Gachagua, the visit was eventually cancelled.
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