Many Kenyan politicians and aspirants accompanying Gachagua on his U.S. trip have expressed outrage after being told they must each contribute Ksh1 million for his farewell dinner.
They argue this is excessive, especially since they already travelled at their own cost and have been covering numerous expenses during the tour. The move has been described as a money grab, with some believing Gachagua is trying to recoup the funds he failed to raise through other events on the trip.
The dinner, set for August 17 at the Holiday Inn in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is already costly for attendees, with each plate priced at Ksh13,000. Many feel that being charged this amount on top of the Ksh1 million demand is unreasonable and shows insensitivity to the financial strain some members of his entourage are already facing. This has left several politicians questioning Gachagua’s motives and commitment to the people he claims to represent.
Sources within his team claim the Ksh1 million demand is targeted at the over 100 Kenyan politicians and aspirants who have been part of his month-long tour. If all comply, he stands to collect about Ksh100 million from the group. This has raised suspicions that the dinner is less about celebrating achievements and more about personal fundraising, further fuelling accusations of greed and misplaced priorities.
The backlash over the dinner costs has overshadowed Gachagua’s announcement that he will cut short his trip and return to Kenya to prepare for by-elections under his Democracy for Citizen Party. While he has apologised to organisers in U.S. states he will not visit, the controversy has left a sour taste among his supporters and exposed growing discontent within his political circle.
