New senator is property baron

South Australian independent senator Lucy Gichuhi has revealed large landholdings in her home state and Kenya.

New senator Lucy Gichuhi has disclosed a large property portfolio in South Australia and Kenya on her pecuniary interest register, but left it open to declare more investments.

The former lawyer's first public disclosure since she took her seat shows she owns, with her husband, six residential properties in her home state.

She also discloses "idle blocks of land" and a home in which some of her relatives live in Kenya.

However she notes: "Whilst I am not aware of any other interest in real estate, I have arranged for searches to be done in Kenya to ensure this is the case."

The register also shows six mortgages with Westpac bank.

In May, Senator Gichuhi became the first person of black African descent to take up a seat in the Senate.

She replaced Bob Day after the Family First senator was found to have been ineligible to stand for election.

However, she sits as an independent, having rejected an invitation to follow Family First state colleagues in a merger with Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives party.


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Source: AAP



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