Coast Leaders Condemn Gachagua’s Tourism Remarks

Coast political leaders have united to condemn Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua over his call for tourists and investors to stay away from Kenya, describing the remarks as reckless and harmful to the region’s economy.

Speaking after a Coast Parliamentary Group (PGM) meeting in Mombasa on Monday, the leaders said tourism remains the backbone of the coastal economy and warned that discouraging visitors would threaten thousands of jobs and investor confidence.

The meeting brought together Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, governors, senators, members of parliament and senior national government officials.

The leaders also reaffirmed their support for President William Ruto’s re-election in 2027, citing what they described as his commitment to economic inclusion and development projects in the Coast region.

Coast Leaders Defend Tourism Industry

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said political competition should never come at the expense of the livelihoods of ordinary Kenyans.

“It is unfortunate that, for some leaders, economic development only seems to matter when it happens in their own regions.

What other reason could anyone have for recklessly telling tourists not to come to Kenya, knowing very well that tourism is one of the main pillars of the Coast economy?” he said.

Nassir said thousands of hotel workers, tour operators, taxi drivers, beach operators, traders and fisherfolk depend directly on tourism.

He added that Coast leaders have been pushing for an Open Skies policy to increase direct international flights into Mombasa and boost occupancy across the region’s more than 40,000 tourist beds.

“It is deeply irresponsible for anyone, particularly someone who has held national leadership, to undermine these efforts through reckless utterances that could damage confidence in Kenya as a tourism destination,” Nassir said.

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro accused Gachagua of targeting development projects outside his political strongholds.

He said discouraging tourism amounted to undermining one of the country’s biggest foreign exchange earners and would hurt thousands of Coast residents whose livelihoods depend on the sector.

Joho Accuses Gachagua of Economic Sabotage

Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho said leaders should promote investment instead of discouraging it.

“For many years there has been a mindset of sabotaging the economy of certain regions. That is one of the reasons the people of the Coast support President William Ruto because his politics embraces economic inclusion,” Joho said.

He accused Gachagua of consistently opposing major government projects outside the Mt Kenya region and claimed his latest remarks targeted the Coast’s tourism industry.

Joho also cited the planned Sh2.1 trillion investment in Lamu, saying the project would transform the county into a regional logistics hub and attract additional investments.

He warned against attempts to undermine projects designed to create employment and stimulate economic growth in the Coast region.

Leaders Back Identity Card Reforms

Besides tourism, the meeting also discussed regional security and the ongoing reforms in national identity card registration.

Joho welcomed Principal Secretaries Belio Kipsang, Raymond Omollo, Mohamed Dhagar and Fikirini Jacobs, saying the government was working to eliminate long-standing barriers that had denied many Coast residents access to identity cards.

He said leaders would continue working with the Ministry of Interior to improve security while ensuring more eligible residents receive identification documents.

Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the Coast had suffered for years because of strict vetting procedures for identity cards but praised the government’s reforms.

He urged leaders to work closely with government agencies to ensure every eligible Kenyan obtains an identity card and enjoys the constitutional rights attached to citizenship.

Leaders Back Identity Card Reforms

The Coast leaders were responding to remarks made by Gachagua during a church service at ACK St. Thomas Cathedral in Kerugoya, where he urged tourists and investors to postpone visits to Kenya until next year.

Gachagua argued that rising insecurity had made the country unsafe for visitors and blamed the government for failing to address the situation.

His comments have since drawn criticism from Coast leaders, who maintain that protecting Kenya’s tourism image is critical to safeguarding jobs, attracting investment and sustaining economic growth in the region.