Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has temporarily suspended his ongoing Wamunyoro consultation programme to travel to the Coast region, saying he is responding to what he described as urgent “family matters” raised by leaders of the Mijikenda community.

The announcement, made through a statement on his official X account, marks a temporary pause in the series of political consultations Gachagua has been holding at his Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri County as he engages leaders and community representatives from across the country.

“I had to temporarily halt the ongoing consultations at Wamunyoro to attend to urgent family matters down in the Coast Region,” Gachagua wrote.

He said the meeting was convened at the request of Mijikenda leaders under their spokesperson, Chirau Ali Makwere, and brought together representatives of the Digo, Giriama, Duruma, Rabai, Chonyi, Kauma, Kambe, Jibana and Ribe communities. According to Gachagua, the leaders sought solidarity from what he described as their “cousins from the Mountain” over challenges facing the Coast region.

In his statement, Gachagua claimed that Coast leaders had raised concerns over what they view as economic exclusion, land disputes, unemployment and the management of strategic public resources. He further alleged that opportunities linked to the Port of Mombasa were increasingly benefiting outsiders rather than local communities and claimed residents had expressed concerns about the exploitation of mineral resources, including those at Mrima Hills.

The former deputy president also made a series of broader allegations against President William Ruto’s administration, claiming the Coast region had been politically and economically marginalised. He further alleged that government appointments and economic opportunities had been concentrated among individuals linked to the President’s family, while accusing the administration of failing to address land disputes, unemployment and drug trafficking in the region. The government had not publicly responded to those claims by the time of publication.

Gachagua said he assured the Mijikenda leaders that they would receive support from communities in Mt Kenya and other regions in pursuing what he described as greater economic and political inclusion. He characterised the engagement as part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation among communities ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The Coast visit temporarily interrupts Gachagua’s 45-day Wamunyoro consultation programme, which he launched after the High Court upheld his impeachment. The consultations have brought together politicians, professionals, religious leaders, business representatives and community groups for discussions on governance, the economy and Kenya’s political direction ahead of the next general election.

Political observers have viewed the Wamunyoro meetings as part of Gachagua’s efforts to broaden his national outreach beyond the Mt Kenya region. In recent weeks, he has hosted delegations from several parts of the country while intensifying engagements with opposition leaders and regional interest groups.

The Coast region remains a key political and economic bloc, with longstanding debates over land ownership, youth unemployment, access to jobs, utilisation of natural resources and the distribution of benefits from strategic assets such as the Port of Mombasa continuing to shape public discourse. These issues have featured prominently in successive election campaigns and remain central to discussions between national and regional leaders.

Gachagua did not indicate how long he would remain at the Coast but said the Wamunyoro consultations had only been suspended temporarily and would resume after the regional engagements.