NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 6 – Eldas Member of Parliament Adan Keynan has called on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate Gachagua’s remarks and take legal action where appropriate for linking BBS Mall in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area to alleged fraud in the United States.
Keynan accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of making false, malicious and ethnically inflammatory claims and further demanded that Gachagua retract the claims, issue an unreserved public apology and desist from making inflammatory statements targeting lawful businesses and investments.
“I formally call upon the NCIC to urgently investigate the inflammatory and unfounded statements made by Mr. Rigathi Gachagua and to institute appropriate legal action in respect of hate speech and ethnic incitement,” he said.
In a statement, Keynan said Gachagua knowingly misled the public by alleging that the iconic mall in Eastleigh was built using proceeds from the so-called Minnesota fraud, describing the claims as factually impossible and politically reckless.
“Rigathi Gachagua knowingly and deliberately made a false and malicious claim alleging that the iconic mall in Eastleigh was constructed using proceeds of fraud purportedly originating from Minnesota,” Keynan said.
He explained that the mall was developed on land lawfully acquired by the proprietor in 2009, where a smaller facility, Comesa Mall, initially stood before redevelopment into the current complex.
“The property was later redeveloped into what is now the largest mall in East and Central Africa. Construction commenced in 2018 and was successfully completed in 2022,” Keynan said.
He added that attempts to associate the project with alleged fraud said to have occurred between 2022 and 2025 were chronologically impossible and devoid of credibility.
Keynan defended the reputation of the mall’s owner, describing him as a respected businessman who has operated in Eastleigh for more than 25 years and has never been linked to any wrongdoing.
“The proprietor is a well-established and respected business magnate… with an unblemished record. His reputation, both regionally and internationally, is firmly anchored on integrity, diligence and trustworthiness,” he said.
The Eldas MP warned that casting aspersions on legitimate investments amounted to ethnic profiling and political scapegoating, with potentially dangerous consequences.
“The reckless casting of aspersions on lawful, transparent and well-documented investments… raises grave concerns of bad faith, political scapegoating and defamatory ethnic profiling,” Keynan said.
The Eldas MP accused Gachagua of engaging in conduct likely to inflame tensions and generate hostility against the Somali community.
He maintained that the mall was developed through verifiable private equity investments and regulated banking channels, dismissing claims of illicit financing as baseless.
“The continued propagation of these allegations reflects a misguided belief that intimidation, vilification and gangster-style politics can instill fear within the Somali community,” Keynan said.
