Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a strongly worded statement on this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations held in Wajir County, questioning government priorities, regional development gaps, and the state of service delivery in Northern Kenya.
In remarks circulated on his social media platforms, Gachagua directly challenged President William Ruto, who led national celebrations in Wajir, to account for what he described as decades of unmet needs in the region, including poor infrastructure, limited access to clean water, unreliable electricity, and inadequate social services.
“This Madaraka Day has been moved to Wajir County. As Mr. William Ruto takes to Wajir to address the nation, he must answer several questions to the people of Wajir,” Gachagua said. “They have no good schools, hospitals, security, food safety, or infrastructure.”
His remarks come at a time when the government has deliberately chosen Wajir as the host county for this year’s national celebration, a symbolic move aimed at highlighting development in historically marginalized regions. However, Gachagua dismissed the symbolism as insufficient, arguing that it risks masking deeper structural problems.
Questions Over Development Priorities
Gachagua criticized what he termed misplaced priorities, questioning whether investment in public facilities such as stadiums for national events should take precedence over essential services.
“Wajir town has no functioning sewerage system. Power rationing is their daily pain. They have no water. Feeder roads and main roads in and out of Wajir are in a deplorable state,” he said.
He further challenged the President to use the national platform to directly address residents on what he described as long-standing development failures.
“Take 20 minutes and tell the people of Wajir what happened to their electricity, roads, security, trade, agriculture, social security and dignity of their lives,” he added.
Historical and Security Concerns
In his remarks, Gachagua also referenced historical injustices in Northern Kenya, urging national leaders to acknowledge past state violence and commit to preventing future occurrences.
He cited the Wagalla incident of 1984, one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s human rights history, in which thousands of people from Wajir were killed during a military operation. “You should apologize to the people of Wajir for the Wagalla massacre and assure them it will not happen again,” he said.
Gachagua also made broader remarks on national security and electoral violence, calling for assurances that the country will not experience political violence in future elections.
Calls for Accountability on Funds
The former Deputy President also raised questions over the utilization of public funds allocated to the region since the advent of devolution in 2013.
“The people of Wajir must be shown where over Kshs. 192 billion is since the advent of devolution in 2013, and billions in CDF,” he said, calling for increased transparency and accountability in county and national government spending.
His statement framed the celebrations as a moment of reflection rather than festivity for residents of the region, arguing that many Kenyans continue to struggle under economic pressure and weak service delivery systems.
“There is nothing to celebrate this Madaraka Day for the people of Wajir and the 55 million Kenyans who continue to carry the brunt of a bad economy,” he said.
Political Undercurrents
The remarks underscore growing political tension between senior figures in Kenya’s leadership and opposition-aligned voices, with development in marginalized regions becoming a central theme of national debate.
The government, however, has previously defended its record in Northern Kenya, citing ongoing infrastructure projects, water initiatives, and increased security operations aimed at stabilizing the region.
