Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has temporarily suspended his Wamunyoro consultations to engage with Mijikenda community leaders at the Coast, describing the visit as addressing urgent “family matters.”
Speaking after a meeting with Mijikenda representatives led by their spokesman Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Gachagua said the leaders had requested solidarity from what he termed their “cousins from the Mountain” regarding challenges facing the coastal region.
Gachagua specifically referenced nine Mijikenda sub-communities: Digo, Giriama, Duruma, Rabai, Chonyi, Kauma, Kambe, Jibana, and Ribe, emphasizing what he described as familial ties between these communities and his own.
The former deputy president leveled several accusations against President William Ruto’s administration, claiming the Coast region is experiencing economic and social marginalization.
His specific allegations included:
- The Port of Mombasa is being sold to foreigners, senior politicians, political brokers, and oligarchs
- Mineral deposits at Mrima Hills have been sold to foreign interests without benefiting local communities
- Ranch land is being grabbed while non-locals graze livestock on community land under police protection
- Businesses linked to the Port of Mombasa and state corporations have been concentrated within one family
“My cousins have been sat on and suppressed by one brutal family,” Gachagua stated. “They cannot breathe. They live like refugees in their own land.”
Gachagua praised former Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi and Moses Nzoro for their support of the community, saying he was “encouraged by the successful family consultations.”
He added that Coast residents are determined to reclaim their dignity and participate in national political discussions without intermediaries.
