Controversial televangelist and Ekeza Sacco founder Pastor David Kariuki Ngare alias Gakuyo has spoken of the difficult time he has battled over the last two years.
On Wednesday, he told mourners in Mwihoko, Ruiru sub-county that paying debts he owed to investors of Ekeza Sacco has made him lose weight.
Gakuyo was ordered by the government to pay Ksh1.5 billion to 78,000 investors who had been pumping millions in his company for investment purposes but ended up getting nothing.
Ekeza Sacco had invested in land and low-cost housing which appealed to many middle-income Kenyans.
They channelled their savings to the sacco which crumbled in early 2019. It sunk with their hard-earned cash.
While comforting the families of five children who died in a septic tank accident, he said that he is more concerned in rebuilding his image before Kenyans.
“I have never even sired a child outside my marriage, leave alone stealing a coin from investors. I have grown thinner because of giving out all I had to try and protect my reputation,” stated the man of God turned politician.
An audit by the Commissioner of Co-operatives’ office in 2019 stated that Gakuyo would channel the money to his personal account and then make huge withdrawals of more than Ksh1 billion.
Ksh1.5 billion was withdrawn from an account registered under Gakuyo Real Estate and moved to his wife’s account, Hannah Wachu who was a co-director in the real estate firm.
He used his proxies in the company to withdraw the money.
Gakuyo had accumulated high-amount assets in Thika which is his business hub. He owned several buildings in Thika town, a car motor sale company, a church and an investment club.
He also purchased a posh home in the leafy suburbs of Nyari. All this, the government warned, would be auctioned to pay off his debts.
Gakuyo made an appeal promising to pay every dime he took from investors and has since claimed to be making headways in the payments.
His financial woes, pundits say, may have been inspired by his entry in politics where he vied for Kiambu governorship before stepping down and supporting former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu under United For Kiambu alliance.
