DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has urged Kenyans living in the United States not to be in a hurry to return home, linking his warning to what he described as poor leadership and the failure of the government to address basic challenges facing Kenyans.
Speaking to Kenyans in Oregon on Friday night, Gachagua told those living in the US to stay there and help other Kenyans seeking opportunities to relocate, arguing that the situation back home remains unfavorable with little to no opportunities and jobs.
“Don’t be in a hurry to come back to Kenya. Pale si kuzuri,” Gachagua said.
He appeared to link his assessment of the situation in Kenya to what he described as shortcomings in governance, including the government’s failure to tap into the expertise of Kenyans living abroad and to create jobs.
Gachagua faulted the government for undertaking benchmarking trips abroad to find solutions to problems that, he argued, could instead be addressed by Kenyans in the diaspora.
He said the government should invite Kenyans living in the US and elsewhere to share their expertise and help solve challenges at home rather than spending money on foreign trips to benchmark systems.
Gachagua cited drainage and flooding as an example, saying he had observed that heavy rains in the US rarely resulted in the kind of flooding experienced in Kenya.
He attributed the difference to better drainage systems, arguing that in Kenya even short periods of rain can result in flooding because of poor drainage.
The DCP leader also cited the state of healthcare in Kenya as another concern, saying the challenges in the sector were among the reasons he was advising Kenyans in the diaspora not to rush back home.
His remarks came as he continued his ongoing tour of the United States, which began on August 26. Gachagua announced the trip before his departure from Kenya, saying he would engage Kenyans living in the diaspora.
Gachagua said that devolution was working in the US, but was falling short in Kenya.
