President William Samoei Ruto used this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County as a moment of national reckoning, issuing a formal apology for what he described as decades of state neglect toward Northern Kenya.
Speaking during the historic event held in Wajir County—the first time the national celebration has been hosted in the region—Ruto said the government was “correcting a historical injustice” rooted in post-independence policy decisions, particularly the 1965 Sessional Paper No. 10, which he argued entrenched inequality in development.
“For far too long, the people of Northern Kenya bore the burden of state-sanctioned neglect,” Ruto said, acknowledging what he called “marginalisation, under-investment, and missed opportunities” that have shaped the region’s post-independence experience.
He issued a direct apology on behalf of the government, saying the region’s resilience had been evident despite decades of exclusion. “Your strength and patriotism remain a testament to this region,” he said.
The president framed the Wajir celebration as a symbolic pivot toward inclusion, outlining a series of government interventions aimed at narrowing long-standing regional disparities.
In education, Ruto cited the establishment of teacher training colleges in Wajir, Kotulo, and Mandera, alongside Garissa, with more than 4,600 trainees currently enrolled. He also directed the Ministry of Education to integrate traditional learning systems such as Duksi and Madrassa into the national curriculum.
In healthcare, he said over 800,000 residents in the region have registered under the Social Health Authority, which has already paid out KSh8.1 billion in claims to hospitals across Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera.
On infrastructure, he pointed to the ongoing KSh100 billion Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor linking Isiolo, Wajir, and Mandera, describing it as a “transformative artery” expected to unlock trade and mobility across the arid north.
The president also highlighted a KSh38.5 billion affordable housing investment and a KSh5 billion livestock investment company targeting pastoralist economies across 21 arid and semi-arid counties.
The speech repeatedly returned to the theme of historical correction, referencing long-standing inequality tied to early post-independence governance choices, including the now-contested development framework of the mid-1960s.
Ruto said the government’s current agenda is intended to ensure that “no part of Kenya is left behind because of geography, history, or politics,” casting the Wajir celebration as both a symbolic and policy-driven shift in the state’s relationship with the region.
