Gachagua Gains Coastal Support After Meeting Mijikenda Elders in a Secret Summit

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua met with Mijikenda elders in Mombasa on Monday. He cut short his 45-day tour to attend the meeting.

The meeting was called by former Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere. Elders from nine Mijikenda groups attended. These were Digo, Giriama, Duruma, Rabai, Chonyi, Kauma, Kambe, Jibana, and Ribe.

Gachagua said the elders are like family. He said their invite was important and could not be ignored.

The elders raised several issues. They said the Coast is being left out of economic growth. They also talked about few jobs, land problems, and how minerals are handled.

A key issue was the Port of Mombasa. Gachagua claimed there are plans to give control of the port to foreign investors and people close to power. The government has denied this before.

Gachagua also said state jobs and business deals are going to allies of President William Ruto’s family. He said people at the Coast are being silenced. “They feel like strangers at home,” he said.

The elders said they will unite to protect the Coast’s economy. They also backed the “Wantam” campaign. The campaign wants President Ruto to serve only one term.

Gachagua said he will get support from Mt. Kenya, Western, Lower Eastern, Kisii, and Nyanza. He said this is for a new alliance before the 2027 elections.

Later, he posted a photo with the elders and wrote, “Hi Cousins!” The post got over 16,000 reactions. The meeting shows Gachagua is building new support at the Coast ahead of 2027.