Gachagua calls for North Eastern drought to be declared a national disaster amid worsening humanitarian crisis
Gachagua asserted that regional leaders should face punishment for their failures, but he prioritized the need to protect human lives above all else. should declare the drought as a national emergency.
DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua addresses residents of Githunguri town, Kiambu County, on January 4, 2026. PHOTO | COURTESY
By Ruth Sang
The former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua asked the national government to establish the worsening drought in North Eastern Kenya as a national disaster because the emergency situation has developed to a stage where thousands of people need food, water, and basic medical services for their survival.
The Democracy for Citizens Party DCP leader presented a bleak view of regional conditions through his weekend statement because he believed extreme weather combined with leadership failures had pushed local communities to their breaking point. Gachagua accused regional leaders of turning a blind eye to the suffering of their constituents and neglecting their duty to safeguard vulnerable populations.
The humanitarian situation has developed into a crisis because livestock which pastoralist families depend on for their livelihoods has died in significant numbers due to the extended time without available pasture and water. The animal deaths represent an economic loss but they also show how serious the drought has become and how urgent the need for help has turned.
Gachagua insisted that leadership should evaluate its effectiveness through its capacity to maintain human dignity and life protection rather than through personal political advantages. The North Eastern Kenya emergency situation requires both those in authority and the public to think deeply about their responsibilities while they should work together immediately to save lives. The crisis demands three things from the public American system which he established as the necessary requirements for governmental accountability verification and vital public service renewal.
He drew attention to the most fragile members of society who suffer from the disaster most because orphans widows and sick people face the greatest challenges. Many families, he noted, are skipping meals and cannot access even basic medical services. Gachagua linked these hardships to what he called greed, mismanagement, and indifference among leaders entrusted with public resources.
To illustrate the scale of the disaster, he pointed to the death of camels — animals widely known for their ability to survive in harsh desert climates. The death of these resilient animals from lack of water and food demonstrates that human communities face an even worse situation according to him. He described a region where numerous people experience silent suffering because families mourn their losses and people avoid medical treatment for their illnesses.
The former deputy president called on the central government to act without delay by declaring the drought as a national disaster and using all resources to assist affected regions. The community needs emergency relief and food aid and water distribution and medical outreach to begin operations because these services will help halt the crisis before it develops into a full-scale disaster.
Gachagua asked for international humanitarian groups and development partners to provide immediate help after all domestic operations have been executed. He requested global solidarity because outside support would help diminish the financial strain on families who are already experiencing difficulties.
Gachagua asserted that regional leaders should face punishment for their failures but he prioritized the need to protect human lives above all else. should declare the drought as a national emergency. The announcement would accelerate response times while enabling both local and international organizations to deliver assistance which would alleviate suffering through their work in North Eastern Kenya.
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