
By Staff Writer | Wajir Today | Thursday, 22 January 2026
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has advanced the debate over corrupt and poor leadership in Northern Kenya, accusing local politicians of mismanaging vast sums of public money while the region remains underdeveloped.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Gachagua criticised the leaders of Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, and Isiolo counties, calling the region “the ailing silent patient of our Republic.”
“The region has been ravaged by underdevelopment, drought, suffering, and entrenched poverty. This tragedy cannot be explained by lack of resources,” Gachagua said.
He noted that since devolution began in 2013, the counties have received over one trillion shillings through national government transfers, including the equitable share, the National Government Constituencies Development Fund, the equalisation fund, and disbursements from the Kenya Roads Board.
Gachagua said the region has also received trillions more from international development partners, multilateral finance institutions, UN agencies, and NGOs.
“Yet, despite this massive inflow of resources, there is no tangible progress to show on the ground,” he wrote.
The former DP placed the blame squarely on local leadership.
“This is not a failure of the people. It is a failure of leadership and accountability,” he said.
He accused county leaders of using public office for personal gain, spending most of their time in Nairobi building apartments rather than translating public resources into water, roads, schools, and health facilities back home.
Gachagua said his comments were intended to spark honest dialogue and accountability.
“As for me, Rigathi Gachagua, I am a friend of the Somali community. I seek to diagnose the problem this ailing silent patient has endured over the years, challenges rooted in a chronic lack of accountability,” he said.
He urged leaders to face scrutiny and confront the realities of their governance.
“Northern Kenya must not be condemned to further prolonged suffering. To create the possibility of healing, we must confront the leaders with firmness, fairness, and fearlessness. Accountability is not hostility. It is the beginning of recovery,” Gachagua wrote.
The post adds fresh intensity to an ongoing debate over leadership in Northern Kenya, where accusations of corruption and mismanagement have long overshadowed development efforts.
The latest attack on the leaders comes hot on the heels of a rebuttal from Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi on Wednesday, who accused the former Deputy President of overlooking decades of neglect and the daily struggles faced by the region.

