Ahmednasir, Gachagua find common ground on corruption in Northern Kenya counties

Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has publicly backed former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s recent interventions on corruption and underdevelopment in Northern Kenya, despite their sharp political differences.

In a strongly worded statement, Ahmednasir said that although he and Gachagua stand on opposite sides of the political divide, they share a common understanding of the historical neglect of Northern Kenya and the role corruption has played in deepening the region’s underdevelopment.

“Politically, H.E Rigathi Gachagua and myself are on opposite sides… But Gachagua and myself see and read from the same script when it comes to the problems of North Kenya,” Ahmednasir said.

He argued that while marginalisation and historical neglect have long held back the region, corrupt local leadership has been equally responsible for its plight.

According to Ahmednasir, more than Sh1 trillion has been allocated to Northern Kenya counties since 2013 through devolution funds, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), donor support and central government grants. 

He claimed that a forensic audit would reveal that 90 per cent of these funds were wasted and misappropriated.

The senior counsel also took aim at Kenya’s anti-corruption framework, questioning the credibility of a recent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) report that ranked Marsabit as the least corrupt county in the country.

“Can anyone take EACC seriously? Instead of fighting corruption, it is laundering it,” he said, accusing institutions of failing to hold leaders accountable and instead enabling impunity.

Ahmednasir welcomed Gachagua’s public stance on corruption in the region and urged him to escalate the campaign, calling for a national convention to interrogate the challenges facing Northern Kenya and the role political leaders have played.

He further proposed a national ‘kamukunji’ to account for how the Sh1 trillion allocated to Northern counties has been used, questioning whether some of the funds were diverted into private investments in cities such as Nairobi or abroad.

The lawyer also challenged the EACC to publicly outline its record in investigating corruption in Northern Kenya, asking whether the commission has been “an active accomplice” in the alleged looting of public resources.

While backing Gachagua’s intervention, Ahmednasir warned that President William Ruto’s administration should not allow the former deputy president to dominate the issue politically.

“The government of President Ruto shouldn’t allow Gachagua to monopolise this burning and popular topic. The government must openly address this troubling issue,” he said.

He concluded by calling for urgent action, describing corruption in the region as a crisis that can no longer be ignored. “Now is the time to speak about it and fight it.”