NAIROBI — Rigathi Gachagua isn’t holding back.
Speaking at a Sunday church service in the coastal town of Malindi, the former deputy president accused the government of dipping into workers’ pensions to bankroll its showpiece infrastructure projects. And he wants long-serving union leader Francis Atwoli to speak up.
“Atwoli has been silent for too long,” Gachagua said from the pulpit of Jesus Celebration Centre. “He is one of the trustees of NSSF, and we want him to be vocal about why those funds are being irregularly appropriated.”
At the centre of Gachagua’s concern is the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) a pool of workers’ savings meant for retirement which he claims is being diverted to pay for high-profile state ventures, including the Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC) and the Rironi–Mau Summit highway expansion.
“We are happy to hear Atwoli has started to speak out,” Gachagua added, “but we need him to do more.”
The NSSF, a statutory retirement scheme, collects contributions from both workers and employers. Any suggestion that its funds are being used outside their mandate without transparency or consultation raises alarm, especially among contributors and labour advocates.
So far, Atwoli has not issued a direct public response to Gachagua’s remarks. But he has recently been at odds with government officials over the use of public contributions. Last week, he clashed with the State Department for Housing over proposed changes that would allow housing levies to be spent on unrelated projects such as police posts and clinics.
The two projects Gachagua highlighted are government flagships. The BICC was approved by the Cabinet last August as part of a push to grow Kenya’s global profile in conference tourism. Envisioned as a modern complement to the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, it is to feature high-end meeting facilities, luxury hotels, and a presidential pavilion.
The Rironi–Mau Summit Road, a 170-kilometre stretch linking Kenya’s central region to the Rift Valley, is slated for a major upgrade from a narrow single carriageway to a four-lane dual highway. Work is due to begin later this month, with completion expected by mid-2027.
A Cabinet brief described the road project as “critical to regional connectivity and economic growth,” promising to ease congestion and speed up transport of goods and people.
But Gachagua insists that using NSSF funds without clear oversight crosses a line. “That money belongs to Kenyan workers,” he said. “It’s meant for their future, not political projects.”
Analysts say the accusations could stir unease within both government and labour circles.
“Public pension funds are highly sensitive,” said Wanjiru Gikonyo, a governance expert in Nairobi. “Any perception that they are being mishandled whether fairly or not can damage trust in state institutions.”
NSSF officials have yet to respond to the allegations. Government insiders, speaking anonymously, say the projects are financed through a mix of public-private partnerships, loans, and budget allocations but did not deny that pension funds could be part of the financing mix.
For now, pressure is mounting on Atwoli. As one of the longest-serving labour leaders in Africa, and a trustee of the NSSF, his silence or his response could shape the public debate over how Kenya manages the retirement savings of its workforce.
Gachagua, never one to shy away from a fight, says he’s not letting it go.
“We will not allow workers’ money to be wasted,” he told the congregation. “Not under our watch.”
