Wajir Governor and Chairman of the Council of Governors, Ahmed Abdullahi, has strongly condemned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over recent remarks targeting Somali business owners in Kenya. The Governor accused Gachagua of fueling what he described as Somaliphobia and spreading defamatory claims against respected entrepreneurs in the country.
Governor Defends Somali Business Community and BBS Mall Investors
In a sharply-worded statement, Governor Abdullahi said Gachagua had “taken Somaliphobia to an unacceptable level,” adding that his comments unfairly portrayed Somali business owners as beneficiaries of misused disability funds from Minnesota in the United States.
He insisted that the U.S. government has the capability to trace the movement of any missing funds and said linking Somali investors in Kenya to such claims was reckless and defamatory.
The Governor also defended the owner of BBS Mall, saying the businessman has been a serious and legitimate investor in Kenya long before President William Samoei Ruto came to power. He warned that politicizing Somali investments damages trust, credibility, and stability within Kenya’s business sector.
Governor Abdullahi further addressed Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, saying that “with ‘friends’ like Gachagua, you don’t need enemies,” and claimed that every time Gachagua speaks, support among independent-minded Kenyans shifts further toward President Ruto.
In a bold recommendation, the Governor advised the owners of BBS Mall to sue Gachagua for defamation, arguing that public figures must be held responsible for spreading false accusations that tarnish reputations and risk inciting ethnic prejudice.
His remarks add to the growing backlash against Gachagua’s claims and highlight ongoing tensions between the former deputy president and Kenya’s Somali business community a relationship that has faced repeated strain in national politics.