Gachagua expresses sorrow over talent drain after engaging Kenyans shaping Meta
By Steve Ireri, August 10, 2025Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has opened up about the immense talent among young Kenyans driving innovation at global tech giants Google and Meta, while lamenting the failures of local leadership to harness this potential for Kenya’s benefit.
Speaking in the US just a day after visiting Silicon Valley on Sunday, August 10, 2025, Gachagua revealed that he met at least 35 young Kenyans playing key roles in Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
“Yesterday I spent the day in Silicon Valley, and I went to Google and Meta, and things are working. What is amazing at Meta is that I found 35 Kenyans who are driving Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Young Kenyans, knowledgeable ones,” Gachagua said.
At Google, he encountered more young Kenyan talent who are integral to the company’s operations.
He also revealed that he had met with executives running successful businesses in Silicon Valley, many of whom are also Kenyan.
“At Google, I met a young Kenyan who is helping to run that big company. Later on, I met executives in Silicon Valley who are running successful businesses,” he noted.
Reflecting on these experiences, Gachagua expressed deep embarrassment at the contrast between the capabilities of Kenyans abroad and the state of digital leadership at home.
He added that the stark disparity between the groundbreaking work being done by Kenyan professionals abroad and the underwhelming performance of local digital leadership was by far a missed opportunity for Kenya’s progress in the rapidly evolving technology sector.
“When I listened to people at Google and at Meta on the ideas they have on innovations and artificial intelligence, I was so embarrassed that despite having that kind of capacity with Kenyans to turn around our digital information technology, we even have an ICT CS who is embarrassing us,” he said.
He urged the Kenyan diaspora to consider investing back home, emphasising that Kenya remains their country and has vast opportunities for growth and development.
“And then I want to invite you to invest back home; that is your country.”
Jab at Kabogo
In the same address, the former Deputy President also laughed off the choice of William Kabogo as the Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary.
Gachagua stated that he was embarrassed to see that the country had an ICT CS, who he claims has little knowledge about the docket he heads.
According to the DCP party leader, it is a shame that Kenya has intelligent professionals driving the digital economy of the US and the world, yet has Kabogo as the cabinet secretary back at home.
“I listened to them and the ideas they have and innovations and AI, and I was so embarrassed that despite having that kind of capacity to turn around our digital technology, our minister for ICT is William Kabogo. Are you also not embarrassed? A guy who knows nothing about IT, yet we have Kenyans driving mega corporations in matters of IT in the USA and all over the world. These are Kenyans I seek to partner with,” Gachagua said amid laughter.