NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced plans to tour northern Kenya, saying he wants to engage directly with residents and speak out on what he terms the long-standing neglect of the region by its leaders.
Speaking during an interview with local radio stations on Thursday, January 22, 2026, Gachagua said he will visit Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit and Mandera in the coming days.
The tour, he noted, will be conducted entirely by air and will focus on listening to residents and discussing their rights amid a worsening drought.
Gachagua said he has decided to step in as a spokesperson for northern communities, arguing that elected leaders from the region have remained silent despite widespread suffering caused by the prolonged dry spell, now entering its fourth month.
“Hivi karibuni nitatembea Garissa, Mandera na Wajir, nikaongee na wananchi, tuonane macho kwa macho. I must tell them what is happening and share my ideas on how they can liberate themselves,” he said.
The former deputy president took issue with northern leaders, claiming many do not live in the counties they represent.
According to Gachagua, most leaders reside in Nairobi or abroad, a situation he says has disconnected them from the realities facing their constituents.
Reflecting on his tenure before his removal from office in October 2024, Gachagua said leaders from the region would often request to accompany him on official visits to the north using his aircraft.
However, he claimed none would remain behind to engage with residents once the visits ended.
He argued that this lack of presence partly explains why the region continues to lag behind despite more than a decade of devolution, billions of shillings allocated annually to county governments, and equal distribution of national resources such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which was later declared unconstitutional.
Gachagua said residents in northern Kenya still struggle with basic services and underdevelopment, despite the funding.
As part of his planned tour, he said he intends to roll out a programme aimed at exposing leaders to conditions on the ground and collecting feedback from residents on the failures of their elected representatives.
He added that details of the initiative will be communicated in the coming days.
During the interview, a youth participant suggested the launch of a digital platform dubbed “Mheshimiwa Tracker”, which would monitor the performance and presence of MPs and other leaders. Gachagua welcomed the idea, saying leaders must be held accountable.
The former deputy president also criticised President William Ruto for delaying the declaration of the northern drought as a national disaster, saying the move is necessary to unlock donor funding and emergency support.
He further faulted Deputy President Kithure Kindiki for what he described as a lack of urgency in addressing the crisis, accusing him of failing to convene stakeholders or provide solutions despite reports of deaths linked to the drought.
According to Gachagua, drought situations during his tenure were never allowed to persist beyond a month, as he would convene emergency meetings involving governors, NGOs, development banks and local administrators to avert famine.
“Even governors don’t stay in their counties; they run governments from Nairobi. How can you govern people you don’t live with?” he posed.
