NAIROBI, Kenya- Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, a supporter of President William Ruto’s UDA administration, has weighed into the growing national debate on leadership, devolution and accountability in Northern Kenya, publicly backing remarks made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ahmednasir said Gachagua had raised what he described as legitimate accountability questions regarding the use of public resources in Northern Kenya since the introduction of devolution in 2013.
According to the lawyer, leaders from the region should be held to account over billions of shillings allocated through devolution and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), arguing that the scale of public investment has not been matched by visible development outcomes.
“Gachagua is playing politics, but when he talks about Northern Kenyan leaders and how they have let down their people he is being truthful and I’m with him,” Ahmednasir said.
He argued that Northern Kenya leaders have failed to satisfactorily explain how hundreds of billions of shillings disbursed over the last decade have been spent, pointing to what he described as the absence of world-class public institutions, including schools and hospitals, in some counties.
Ahmednasir further alleged that political leaders from the region have prioritised personal investments in Nairobi over development in their home counties, raising questions about leadership commitment and stewardship of public funds.
Gachagua: These leaders from Northern Kenya, they don’t live there and they don’t work there. Anytime I had a trip to Garissa, the leaders of those regions would demand that I make space available for them in my aircraft. I would go with them and come back with them.
Gachagua’s Remarks Trigger Debate
Gachagua ignited the debate after publicly challenging leaders from Northern Kenya over what he described as poor utilisation of devolved funds, particularly in relation to education and institutional development.
“Let leaders from Northern Kenya not lecture us on affirmative action. Devolution has been in place since 2013 and leaders in those regions have deliberately refused to develop institutions, yet they want their children to enjoy facilities built by leaders in other counties,” Gachagua said.
He cited specific funding figures to support his argument, stating that since 2013, Wajir County has received Ksh99.6 billion, Marsabit Ksh76.83 billion, Garissa Ksh81.7 billion and Mandera Ksh119 billion in devolved funds.
“They have the ability to develop institutions of the highest standards possible in Kenya. I travelled as Deputy President to those areas and I didn’t see any institutions despite the massive funding by taxpayers,” he said.
Gachagua contrasted the situation with counties in Western Kenya, Rift Valley and Mount Kenya, noting that despite receiving less funding, they have built what he described as well-developed public institutions.
DCP Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has renewed calls for national school placement to be based strictly on merit, criticising the quota system for disadvantaging high-performing learners.Speaking in Nyeri County, the former Deputy President said the system unfairly locks out
Call for National Conversation
The former Deputy President argued that despite billions being disbursed to devolved units, little tangible development has been realised in some regions, calling for a broader national conversation on equity and accountability.
“We need to have a national conversation about zoning of placement. It made sense when some areas were marginalised, but now they have received massive funds, including equalisation funds. CDF money is shared equally among the 290 constituencies, yet when you go to these areas, there is nothing on the ground,” he said.
Gachagua also claimed that many leaders from Northern Kenya are not domiciled in their counties, alleging that they primarily reside in Nairobi.
“When I was DP, I was shocked that leaders from Northern Kenya didn’t even live there. Whenever I travelled to Garissa or Wajir, they would ask to fly with me and return to Nairobi. I never saw institutions on the ground despite billions being allocated,” he said.
He further reflected on the former school quota placement system, where principals, parents and students jointly participated in placement decisions, arguing that the approach promoted fairness and practicality.
