Rigathi Gachagua Biography
Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua is a Kenyan politician who has been currently serving as Deputy President of Kenya since 2022. He was elected Deputy President on August 9, 2022, and sworn in on September 13, 2022. Previously, he served as a member of parliament for Mathira constituency in Nyeri County between 2017 and 2022 as a member of the Jubilee Party.
Geoffrey Gachagua is known for his outspoken abrasive style of politics. Often, he addressed issues by publicly putting the authority figures mandated to solve them to task. William Ruto would later cite this as one of the reasons Gachagua was chosen as his running mate. William Ruto said, ”Gachagua is a very passionate leader, a people’s person”.
In the 2022 election, William Ruto selected Gachagua as his running mate. The two were elected with just over 50% of the votes. However, Gachagua has a checked past with pending court cases of misappropriation of government funds. On 28th July 2022, a Kenyan court ordered Rigathi Gachagua to reimburse KES 202 million (US$1.7 million). He was finding that the money was derived from corruption. In November 2022, Rigathi Gachagua faced corruption charges in a $60 million case. These charges were eventually dropped.
He previously served in various junior roles in government, including assistant secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs & National Heritage, personal assistant to the Head of the Public Service, personal assistant to minister for Local Government Uhuru Kenyatta and a district officer.
Rigathi Gachagua Education
He enrolled at Karibuini Primary School from 1977 before proceeding to Kianyaga High School for his O-Levels. In 1985, he joined the University Of Nairobi, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Literature in 1988. At the University of Nairobi, Gachagua was the Nyeri District University Students Association of Literature Students.
After graduating, Gachagua was employed for a short time at Kenya’s Ministry of Home Affairs & National Heritage. Gachagua was later posted at the office of President Daniel Arap Moi as a District Officer Cadet between 1991 and 1992.
Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua then went on to serve as a District Officer in Kakamega, Ngarua and Laikipia districts between 1999 and 2000, he joined the Kenya School of Government where he graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Public Administration. Between 2001 and 2006, Gachagua worked as the Personal Assistant to Uhuru Kenyatta. Between 2007 and 2017, Gachagua remained behind the scenes running his businesses.
Rigathi Gachagua Age
How old is Rigathi Gachagua? Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua is 58 years old as of 2023. He was born on 28th February 1965 in Hiringa village of Nyeri County. Therefore, Gachagua celebrates his birthday on 28th February every year.
Rigathi Gachagua Height | Weight
How tall is Rigathi Gachagua? Gachagua stands approximately at a height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m) weighing about 80kgs (176 lbs). He prefers bald hair and has a black eye colour.
Rigathi Gachagua Wife
Is Rigathi Gachagua married? Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua is married to Dorcas Wanjiku, a retired banker who is now a pastor in Mathira. Moreover, Pastor Dr. Dorcas Rigathi is the Second Lady of the Republic of Kenya. Dorcas is also a trained teacher, and a Bachelor of Education, Arts Degree holder from Kenyatta University. She was born in 1965 in Ndunyu ya Chege village in Gatanga Constituency, Muranga County. Additionally, Pastor Dorcas is active in the church, House of Grace, Nairobi. She started serving in the church as an usher in 2002 and was later ordained in 2011. The couple married in 1989 and were blessed with two sons, Kevin Gathagua, a professional software engineer and Keith Ikinu a career medical doctor at Mbagathi District Hospital.
Rigathi Gachagua Parents | Family
Rigathi is the 8th-born child of Nahashon Gachagua Reriani and Martha Kirigo. His parents were Mau Mau freedom fighters in Mt. Kenya forest. Nahashon, serviced guns for the Mau Mau while Martha, his mother was a food and ammunition courier for the fighters. He is the younger brother to the late Nderitu Gachagua, the first governor of Nyeri County.
Rigathi Gachagua’s Net Worth
Gachagua has an approximate Net Worth of about $4 million (KSh 800 million) from both political and business minus some other frozen funds.
Rigathi Gachagua Salary
According to various sources, Gachagua would walk away with KSh 1,367,438, up from KSh 1,227,188 and a further rise to KSh 1.4 million in July 2024, which is a 14% rise. His primary source of income is primarily from his service in politics as a civil servant and other businesses.