- Televangelist and Ekeza Sacco Founder David Kariuki Ngare, also known as Gakuyo, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
- In a video he recorded himself, which Nairobi Post obtained, Gakuyo explained that his trip was interrupted by DCI detectives who detained him at the airport
- The flashy Man of God however stated that he was unsure of the reason behind his arrest
Controversial televangelist and Ekeza Sacco Founder David Kariuki Ngare, alias Gakuyo has been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a self-recorded video seen by Nairobi Post Gakuyo says his trip was cut short by DCI detectives who apprehended him at the airport.
He however claims not to be aware of the motive behind the arrest.
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They say I cannot leave the country. I’m at JKIA. I just think there is some revenge somewhere. I’m happy I might get an opportunity to see the judge and be told on what case I have. Right now I’m at the DCI airport,” Gakuyo says in the video.
The Bishop was travelling to Zambia when he was intercepted at the airport. He has since been transferred to the DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road for interrogation.
Gakuyo has been on police radar over allegations of embezzling over Ksh.1 billion from members of his Ekeza Sacco.
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Controversial televangelist David Ngare Kariuki, appeared on the spotlight for the first time in 2019 after he spent the better part of his day at the economic crimes department of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Detectives questioned Mr Gakuyo over claims that he siphoned more than Sh1 billion saved by over 78,000 people at the troubled Ekeza Sacco and used it to spruce up his lifestyle.
This came a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i instructed police to speed up the arrest of Ekeza Sacco officials, where Gakuyo is the chairman.
At the DCI offices, Mr Gakuyo, who was accompanied by a team of six lawyers led by Mr Dunstan Omari, spent slightly over an hour and did not speak to the media.
Before appearing at the DCI, the preacher, who has also been grappling with allegations that he forged his academic papers, resigned through a letter as adviser to Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu. He did not cite the reasons for his resignation.
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Mr Omari said the preacher presented himself after word went round that police were looking for him over the mess at Ekeza, where disgruntled members have been asking the government to take action against him.
But Mr Omari said that a few minutes before Mr Gakuyo arrived at the DCI, a formal complaint was filed by the Trade ministry.
He said that the document from the ministry had not been read and that the DCI would look at it. The lawyer, however, said no formal report had been recorded in the police occurrence book.
But even as Mr Gakuyo, the overseer of Calvary Chosen Centre Church in Thika, fought claims of fraud at Ekeza, he is facing new fraud claims in which he allegedly used similar tricks to swindle people through his real estate firm.
He is said to have started an investors’ club at Gakuyo Real Estate, where he and his wife Hannah Wachu are co-directors, and asked Kenyans to invest their money to help the company run the business and in return reap a two per cent monthly interest.
Mr Gakuyo allegedly only remitted the interest for a few months before starting a cat-and-mouse game.
