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Deputy President William Ruto’s running-mate Rigathi Gachagua (right) rates himself as a Hustler who has risen from ashes to the wealth he possesses currently.

Gachagua, the Mathira MP, is seeking to dissociate himself from other billionaires from Mt Kenya who he accuses of overseeing the economic ruins facing most of the residents, as he aims to occupy the second powerful office in the land.

Although he is a newbie in politics, having served for only one term, he is an experienced provincial administrator who served in various posts in the 1990s.

“I am a child of Mau Mau fighters. I was born in the forest. We were extremely poor; we lived in a grass-thatched house. We suffered for a long time; we didn’t have food, school fees; but God has since made me become who I am today,” he said recently.

He has promised to ensure that the issues affecting the common mwananchi are prioritised.

Also, he accuses the government of weaponising the fight against graft, promising to ensure institutions charged with this responsibility are independent and properly funded.

 Corruption case

He is one of the senior political figures who have been fingered for graft. He is set to respond to graft charges in under a month, if elected. The Anti-Corruption Court has fixed the hearing of a case against him for September.

Even with his inexperience in politics, Ruto has entrusted Rigathi with the delivery of close to six million votes in Mt Kenya region to his camp, and he has promised to do so. His choice for the position in May was controversial as reports emerged he was not among the most-preferred by the DP’s allies.

Rigathi served in the Office of the President as a District Officer Cadet from 1990. In 1991, he became a personal assistant to the Head of Public Service. Between 1997 and 1999, he went back to provincial administration where he served as District Officer, Ng’arua Division, Laikipia.

Until 2006, he was picked as personal assistant to then Local Government Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, now President of the Republic of Kenya.