The former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has announced plans to hold tours in the Northeastern region.

He made the announcement during an interview with local media stations on Thursday, January 22, 2026, stating that he will be touring Isiolo, Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, and Mandera all by air to engage with northern communities and discuss their rights.

Gachagua further stated that he will act as the spokesman for the northern communities, as, according to him, their leaders have chosen to remain silent while their constituents endure untold suffering, citing the ongoing drought affecting the five northern counties as an example.

“Hivi karibuni nitatembea Garissa, nitatembea mandera, nitaenda wajir, nikaongee na wananchi, tuonane macho kwa macho. I must tell them what is happening; i must share with them my ideas and what they can do to liberate themselves.”

He took issue with northern leaders, saying that the majority do not reside in the areas where they were elected. Most live in Nairobi, while some reside outside the country, causing them to lose touch with the realities on the ground.

Reflecting on his tenure as Deputy President before his ouster in October 2024, Gachagua explained that whenever he wanted to tour the northern counties, leaders from the region would request space on his aircraft. After completing the assignment, he noted, none of the leaders remained on the ground with their constituents or accompanied him back to Nairobi.

The region lagging behind

He further stated that this is one of the reasons the North has lagged, despite 10 years of devolution, billions of shillings allocated to each county annually, and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which was declared unconstitutional, being distributed equally among MPs. Yet, the locals still face basic problems.

Gachagua added that he plans to launch a programme exposing every northern leader to the lack of development in their areas. He told northern residents that in a few days, he will communicate a programme aimed at gathering views from the locals on their leaders’ lapses.

Tracking northern leaders

During the interview, a youth suggested to Gachagua that they are ready to launch an application dubbed “Mheshimiwa tracker”, which will be used to expose parliamentarians and other leaders who fail to deliver on their work.

He also faulted the President for delaying the declaration of the northern drought as a national disaster, urging him to act quickly to attract donor funding that could help stabilise the crisis, which is now entering its fourth month.

Gachagua further criticised Deputy President Kithure Kindiki for failing to act with urgency, convene meetings with stakeholders, or provide solutions to the three-month drought that has already claimed lives in the region. According to him, Kindiki is more focused on advancing his “fire si fire” slogan instead of intervening to address the crisis.

He added that during his tenure as Deputy President, he never allowed drought to persist beyond one month, convening emergency meetings to curb the famine by holding talks with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local administrators, development banks, and other stakeholders.

“Even governors don’t stay in their counties; they live here in Nairobi. How can you run a county government from Nairobi? When I was a deputy president, those leaders, I would carry them in my chopper to the northeast and back; they could not remain in their constituencies,” Gachagua stated.