Friday, January 23,
2026 - Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused journalists
from North Eastern Kenya of boycotting a scheduled interview after receiving
threats.
Speaking on Thursday night, January 22nd,
Gachagua said several local radio stations had reached out to him, citing
strong demand from residents of Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit and Isiolo.
He noted that although he was on holiday in Mombasa, he flew
back to Nairobi to honor the request.
“Since I spoke out, radio stations from the North Eastern
region have been looking for me.”
“They said the people wanted to hear from me, so I took a
flight back,” Gachagua stated.
However, he alleged that journalists were later intimidated
and forced to cancel the interview.
According to the DCP leader, leaders from the five Counties
did not want residents to hear his views.
“Fear has been instilled in them because leaders from those
counties do not want the truth to come out.”
“They continue misleading people by claiming marginalization
is the root of poverty, yet I was ready to explain the real reasons,” he said.
The cancellation was confirmed by the North Kenya Media
Practitioners, who issued a statement announcing their collective decision to
terminate the roundtable interview.
The group said the move followed extensive internal
deliberations and was guided by principles of responsible journalism, national
unity and constructive discourse.
They added that Gachagua’s recent remarks had been divisive,
often emphasizing ethnic and regional differences at a time when Kenya needed
unity.
The decision sparked sharp criticism from senior lawyer
Ahmednasir Abdullahi, who argued that the media had a duty to challenge
Gachagua through tough questioning rather than silence him.
“Boycotting Gachagua by NFD media is a stupid act of
journalistic cowardice,” he said.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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