President Ruto Vows to Protect Gachagua Widows: “What Belongs to Orphans Must Be Returned”
A decades-long silence has been shattered as the family of the late Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua takes their battle for a Sh2 billion estate to the highest office in the land. In a formal petition dated March 23, 2026, the Governor’s widow, Margaret Nyokabi, and her children have appealed to President William Ruto, alleging a sophisticated scheme of “fraud, forgery, and unlawful interference” designed to disinherit them. This move has transformed a private family dispute into a massive national talking point, especially as President Ruto publicly vowed this past Palm Sunday to defend the “widows and orphans” of his late friend.
At the heart of the petition is a shocking claim: the document used to distribute the Governor’s wealth for nearly a decade is reportedly inscribed with the words “Draft Last Will and Testament.” The family argues that a draft cannot legally constitute a final testament. Furthermore, they contend that the Governor, who was battling advanced pancreatic cancer in a London hospital in 2017, was physically and mentally incapacitated. According to his daughter, Susan Kirigo, the Governor was “unable to see, let alone write or comprehend” legal documents in his final days.
The petition points a finger at a “close relative”—widely understood to be former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—who served as an executor alongside lawyer Njoroge Regeru and friend Mwai Mathenge. The family alleges this relative leveraged political influence to irregularly transfer assets, including the Olive Garden Hotel in Nairobi and the Vipingo Beach Resort in Kilifi.
Rigathi Gachagua has fired back, dismissing the claims as politically motivated “insults” meant to settle scores following his 2024 impeachment. In a recent interview, he maintained that the will was a “model document” studied at the Kenya School of Law and was adopted by all 21 beneficiaries in court back in 2018. “If anyone is dissatisfied, they should go to court, not to the President,” he stated, arguing that the estate was fully liquidated and distributed years ago.
Perhaps the most harrowing detail emerging from the “Iko Nini” podcast and viral social media reports is the story of a nephew—Nderitu’s own son—who has reportedly spent years in Manyani Maximum Prison. The allegation is that the young man was jailed for 20 years for “robbing” a car that belonged to his father. Critics are asking why a young man whose father left behind millions in liquid cash and a fleet of luxury cars would commit such a crime. The family claims this was a tactic of “intimidation and incarceration” to prevent the rightful heirs from questioning the estate’s management.
President Ruto has directed the Attorney General to review the petition, signaling that the state may launch an independent probe into the alleged forgery. As the 2027 election cycle approaches, this inheritance row is no longer just about money; it has become a litmus test for the protection of property rights and the influence of the “truthful man” in Mount Kenya politics.