YEAR ENDER: Unpacking DP Gachagua's global trips and impact

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is one of Kenya's high profile leaders who have been making strategic trips outside the country, aside from President William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

While the sum of these trips has been unsettling for some Kenyans who feel they have very little impact on the economy, the DP has been a key defender of the trips.

Gachagua while defending President Ruto’s trips which stand at more than 40 in slightly over a year in office said the trips are for the benefit of the country.

He even promised to make public gains they have made on each trip he and the president have made.

"I saw people making noise that the President travels a lot. The President is not a tourist, he travels for work and very soon, at the beginning of January 2024, we will announce to Kenyans the benefits of each trip the President has made to the republic of Kenya."

The Deputy President explained that the trips abroad are inspired by the fact that what they collect locally as tax is insufficient to meet the country's needs.

He said because of this, they have to meet friends from across the globe in efforts to find markets for Kenyan produce and investors who can come and start businesses that can create employment.

He said they also use the trips to seek employment opportunities for Kenyans abroad.

Coffee reforms

Gachagua’s trips have, however, been largely tailored towards achieving one key goal—to market Kenyan coffee and tea.

He is the one tasked with ensuring reforms are initiated in the two sectors that will see farmers reap profits from their returns.

President Ruto handed him the mandate through Executive Order No. 1 of 2023.

The revival of the industry was at the center of President Ruto's campaign promises.

The DP had railed retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for killing the sector and running down the region's economic mainstays.

“Ruto asked me to coordinate the various ministries because I am passionate about coffee and I am a product of coffee earnings. So, this for me is personal. Other than being Deputy President, it’s personal for me because I saw it work. And if it worked then, it will work,” Gachagua said at a past coffee conference.

Colombia and Cuba

In September, the Deputy President made a weeklong trip to Cuba and Colombia where he attended the G77 summit.

At the summit, he represented President Ruto while the visit to Colombia would see the DP market Kenyan Coffee to the world.

Gachagua's delegation comprised farmers from the Mt Kenya region especially those who deal with coffee.

The DP and his dilation would also participate in the Coffee Producers and Roaster Forum in Medellin, Colombia.

He used the opportunity to lobby for Kenya's bid to host the inaugural Africa Coffee Producers and Roasters Forum.

The visit aimed to also have Kenyan farmers engage directly with the producers and roasters and exchange notes and ideas on best practices.

Colombia distributes its coffee to countries like the US, Belgium, and Germany, among others.

The trip followed two visits to Kenya by Colombian Vice President Francia Mina, who had signed some bilateral agreements on behalf of her country. In her trips to Kenya, she was hosted by Gachagua.

Colombia is currently responsible for producing approximately 12 percent of the world's coffee, making it the third-largest coffee producer globally.

Deputy President Gachagua emphasized the importance of learning from Colombia's success in the coffee industry to revitalize Kenya's coffee sub-sector.

Belgium - Germany

In October, the DP left the country for Belgium and Germany to attend the Global Gateway Forum.

The DP visited the two countries to represent President William Ruto at a forum hosted by the European Commission in the Capital, Brussels.

"The Forum aims to strengthen relations between the European Union (EU) and its partners, including Kenya," Head of Deputy Presidential Communication Service Njeri Rugene said.

Rugene said the forum also aimed at strengthening key sectors including digital innovation, green energy, transport, healthcare, and education.

"The Deputy President will engage various coffee actors as part of his efforts to seek a better market for Kenyan coffee," Rugene added.

"He will also meet with Kenyans living in Belgium, at Tangla Hotel in Brussels."

She added that the Deputy President will extend his travel to Germany for other engagements on Coffee, Climate Change, and Renewable Energy, among others.

While these marked the two major trips Gachagua made on the Coffee sector revival, the reforms continue locally.

He said the trips secured markets for Kenyan coffee which can be sourced directly from the country beginning next year.

In October, Gachagua announced that there were ongoing talks between President Ruto, himself, and US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman which will see American multinational coffeehouse Starbucks start sourcing coffee directly from Kenya.

He said Kenya has largely depended on the European market, yet the American market has always been present.

Currently, not much can be described as a success from the trips, but the Deputy President said the Kenya Kwanza administration will make public the gains made from all trips taken by him and Ruto come January 2024.

Soon after being elected into office, Gachagua’s first trip was to Kigali, Rwanda to attend the Youth Connect Africa Summit.

He has since made several other trips including to Ciudad de la Paz in Equatorial Guinea, to participate in the Summit of the Committee of Ten (C-10) of the African Union Heads of State and Government on the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).