Dorcas Wanjiru Rigathi is the wife of deputy president Rigathi Gachagua. Dorcas is an out spoken lady who is a pastor and a mother.
She came into the limelight after president Ruto picked her husband Rigathi Gachagua as the running mate in 2022 general elections.
Early Life
Dorcas Gachagua was born on 18th October in Murang’a, Central Kenya. Dorcas Gachagua comes from a very humble background.
Dorcas father died when she was young at 11 years old. After the death of the father, they were forced out of their home and moved to Thika’s Kiandutu slum. This is after their relatives abandoned them and refused to help because they thought they were after a share of their grandfather’s estate.
Later on, after her father’s death, Dorcas mother was hospitalized for six months leading to Dorcas and the sisters to work as house helps in order to put food on the table because by then they had no one to take care of them. The brother also worked at the coffee farm to help out the sisters. Dorcas disclosed that the mother worked in her business of trading maize and beans while they worked in coffee farm. Their situation became worse that, they at some point lived in a chicken coop as their mother worked very hard to give them a decent life. Dorcas also later lost her sister to pneumonia.
Education Background
Dorcas Gachagua joined primary school at Mugumoini primary school at Kiandutu. After primary school education she was admitted to Alliance High School for her secondary school education. She was later on transferred to St. Francis girls, where she completed her high school education.
In 1985 she enrolled in teaching course at Kenyatta University, majoring in history and CRE.
Dorcas started education journey very late because of the situation in the family. She had to wait for the elder siblings to get education first, because the mother could not cater for all of them at once. After Dorcas mother was able to start the business selling vegetables, maize and beans that is when she enrolled Dorcas in school.
Career
In 1990 Dorcas Gachagua started her career at the cooperative bank of Kenya, where she worked as an agriculture department banker. After 15 years of working as a banker she resigned and joined the family business and served at the church.
In the year 2002, she started serving as an usher in grace ministries church. Dorcas began a widow’s ministry with the church, which she called Dorcas Rigathi Mercy Ministries. She got the inspiration from her widowed mother’s life. The ministry started to closely work with widows and help them out when they need any help.
The ministry has earned her recognition, especially the honorary doctorate from breakthrough international bible university in 2021.
Apart from running her widows ministry, she also serves at the patron of the association of Pentecostal and Evangelical Clergy of Kenya (APECK)
In the family business she serves as the director of one of their companies, Wamunyoro Investment Limited. She became the primary shareholder in the family business because of the husband Rigathi Gachagua involvement in active politics.
Dorcas is using her title as the second lady to impact the lives of Kenyans. Her first project is to partner with the Kenya Union of Saving and Cooperatives (KUSCCO) to financially empower boys and young men. She also partnered with the national police service to help and mentor struggling police officers as mental health cases continue to rise in the police force.
Personal Life
Dorcas Gachagua is married to deputy president Rigathi Gachagua. They have been married for 35years, she is also a mother of two sons i.e. Kevin and Keith Gachagua.
Dorcas Gachagua Profile
Name: Dorcas Gachagua
Place of Birth: Murang’a, Cental Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Husband: Rigathi Gachagua
Children: Kevin and Keith Gachagua
Religion: Christian
Occupation: Pastor, Director in the Family Companies and also an Apeck Patron
