Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has taken a swipe at Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, questioning his national outlook and suggesting that he lacks the countrywide exposure required of a leader with national ambitions.
In a blunt and sarcastic statement, Salasya said Kenya is vast and cannot be understood or led from a single region. He claimed that he personally took only four days to traverse the entire Mount Kenya region, contrasting that experience with what he described as Gachagua’s fixation on a limited geographical and political space.
“Kenya ni big bro,” Salasya remarked, arguing that leadership demands familiarity with the entire country, not just one stronghold.
The youthful legislator challenged Gachagua to demonstrate whether he has ever campaigned or meaningfully engaged voters in regions such as Kwale, Lunga Lunga, Msambweni, Isiolo, Port Victoria, or Trans Mara–Suneka, as well as along the Kenya–Tanzania border. Salasya said he has personally reached all these areas, using that experience to underline his argument that national politics requires ground-level engagement across diverse communities.
According to Salasya, leaders who aspire to national influence must step outside their comfort zones and understand the realities facing Kenyans in every corner of the country, from the Coast to Western, North Eastern, Nyanza, and the Rift Valley.
His remarks add to the growing political sparring ahead of the 2027 election cycle, where questions of national appeal, regional balance, and inclusive leadership are increasingly shaping public debate.
Salasya concluded by implying that remaining confined to one region is incompatible with national leadership, insisting that Kenya’s diversity demands leaders who have physically and politically traversed the country.
