Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is making headlines once again — this time, not for politics, but for profits.
Gachagua has reportedly earned over Sh2 million from a TikTok livestream held on June 27, where he criticized President William Ruto’s administration and engaged with supporters in real time.
In what may be a first for a Kenyan politician, Gachagua received 78 “Lion” gifts TikTok’s most valuable digital offering, each worth Sh51,800 ($400). The total value of the gifts came to Sh4,040,400, though TikTok’s 50% commission slashed his actual take-home to Sh2,020,200.
The livestream has since gone viral and stirred intense debate online.
“Why are we sending a billionaire money? Wakenya huni shangaza,” one X (formerly Twitter) user posted. Another added, “Achangie Boniface kule KNH – ICU. He doesn’t need it.”
Sceptics questioned the legitimacy of the donations. “Uko sure sio wash wash? His ground men were given money to later be gifted to him to sanitize it,” one user alleged.
Others viewed the moment as a missed opportunity for communal progress: “If Kenyans did this to each other, we’d be making bank off these apps, but no.”
Since his impeachment, Gachagua has gained a loyal online following, positioning himself as a vocal government critic — a pivot that’s now proving profitable.
His TikTok success places him alongside digital heavyweights like Nyako, who earned Sh1.5 million in 2024 from the mysterious donor King Roso. The same donor also gifted Sh850,000 during TikToker Brian Chira’s burial, prompting fans to later raise funds for Chira’s grandmother’s home.
