Owners of a major shopping mall in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate have lodged a formal complaint with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) against Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua over remarks linking the property to alleged proceeds of fraud.
The complaint follows statements Gachagua is said to have made on January 4 during a church service in Githunguri Constituency, Kiambu County, where he claimed that funds linked to a fraud investigation in Minnesota, United States, were channelled to Kenya and used to construct the mall.
Through their lawyers, the mall owners dismissed the allegations, insisting the property is a legally established business and not linked to any criminal activity. They argue that the remarks are false, damaging and harmful to the reputation of the business.
The lawyers further accused Gachagua of repeatedly referencing ethnicity in his remarks, saying this amounted to ethnic profiling and collective blame against the Somali community. They urged the NCIC to determine whether the statements constitute ethnic contempt or hate speech and to take appropriate action.
In the complaint, the owners also asked the commission to caution media houses against amplifying the remarks, warning that such coverage could inflame ethnic tensions and harm legitimate businesses operating in Eastleigh.
The complaint comes amid continued public debate following Gachagua’s claims that funds allegedly meant to support persons living with disabilities were diverted and invested in property developments in Kenya, including the Eastleigh mall.
Meanwhile, Eldas MP Adan Keynan criticised the claims, describing them as false and misleading. He said the mall was developed on land lawfully acquired in 2009 and later redeveloped between 2018 and 2022, terming any link to the Minnesota fraud investigation as factually inaccurate.
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