Rigathi Gachagua’s sudden concern for the people of North Eastern Kenya would be laughable if it were not so insulting. No one—and certainly not a single thoughtful Kenyan—should take him seriously when he now claims to be the champion of the Somali hoi polloi. He should spare the country his fake, performative tears.
Mr. Gachagua did not discover North Eastern yesterday. Before his impeachment, he sat at the very centre of power as Deputy President. He chaired the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC), a body that directly influences how resources are shared between the national and county governments. What did he do then for Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, or the wider region? What special effort did he make to correct historical underfunding, weak infrastructure, or chronic service delivery gaps?
He also had a hand in donor coordination and disaster response, areas that matter deeply to North Eastern, a region frequently affected by droughts, floods, and humanitarian crises. Where was his voice when donor funds were being mobilised? Where was his urgency when communities needed relief, water, food, and security? Silence then, outrage now.
The truth is simple: Gachagua is not driven by justice or equality. He is using the historical pain of Somali Kenyans as a political weapon to attack leaders who do not support him. Had North Eastern leaders been his political allies, we would not hear a single word from him today.
Worse still, he insults Somalis by pretending they need him to speak for them. They know their problems. They have the intelligence, agency, and leadership to articulate issues of governance and corruption without being used as political tools.
Mr. Gachagua should stop being hypocritical. The fox has never guarded the chicken coop. Kenyans should see this charade for what it is—and reject it.
