Saturday 05th September, 2026 09:39 AM|
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has arrived in Spokane, Washington State, where he is set to engage Kenyans living in the United States as he steps up his diaspora outreach ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Taking to his official X account on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Gachagua said his visit will focus on listening to Kenyans abroad, discussing the challenges facing the country and exploring how the diaspora can contribute to Kenya’s development and future.
“I have arrived in Spokane, Washington State, to engage with Kenyans living in the USA as part of my Diaspora Engagements. It is truly fulfilling to be welcomed here by my supporters and hardworking Kenyans who refuse to be confined by borders and have gone above and beyond to improve their lives,” Gachagua stated.
He also used his arrival to highlight the growing financial importance of Kenyans living and working abroad, noting that diaspora remittances have overtaken traditional agricultural exports as a major source of foreign exchange for the country.
“In recent times, diaspora remittances have officially surpassed tea and coffee as Kenya’s largest source of foreign exchange,” Gachagua said.
According to recent reports, remittances from Kenyans abroad grew by 12 per cent in 2025, rising from about $4.3 billion (Ksh556.4 billion) in 2024 to more than $5 billion (Ksh647 billion).
The inflows have increasingly become an important pillar of Kenya’s external finances.
Gachagua said the economic contribution of the diaspora also gives Kenyans abroad a stake in conversations about how public resources are managed.
“However, it also underscores a concern: when mismanagement and misappropriation of our resources become evident under a regime that cares little for its citizens, it is our collective responsibility to speak out and seek accountability,” Gachagua stated.
The former Deputy President said he would use the engagements to discuss ways Kenyans living outside the country can participate in Kenya’s development.
“We will have these important discussions and explore ways to contribute to the development and future of Kenya.”
Five-city US tour
Gachagua’s Spokane visit is the first formal stop on an extended US tour expected to take him through five cities between September and October.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) itinerary shows that he is scheduled to remain in Spokane from September 4 to September 10 before travelling to Portland, Oregon, for another six-day engagement. He is then expected to visit Kansas, Dallas and Boston, with the tour scheduled to run until October 9, 2026.
The tour comes after Gachagua left Kenya on August 26 for what his party described as an extended stay in the United States.
Before travelling, he said part of the purpose of staying away from Kenya was to give himself room to reflect and make important political decisions without what he described as undue influence from political associates.
“When I’m here there’s a lot of influence – Kaguchia tells me this, Methu that; this pulls me one way, this the other way. I want to make decisions without undue influence,” he said.
The US tour is therefore taking place at a significant point in Gachagua’s political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Diaspora emerges as key political constituency
Kenyans living abroad have increasingly become an important constituency for politicians seeking to build national networks, given both their economic contribution and their growing interest in Kenyan politics.
Recent reporting has put remittances from Kenyans abroad at about Sh370 billion during the first seven months of 2026, underscoring the financial weight of the diaspora.
Gachagua’s latest tour is expected to give him an opportunity to cultivate relationships with diaspora communities while also popularising his DCP party and discussing his political vision.
His Spokane engagement also follows an earlier meeting with Kenyans in Seattle in July 2025, when he described the diaspora community as candid and hardworking and said he had listened to their concerns about Kenya.
