President William Ruto used the historic 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County to outline a sweeping investment agenda for Northern Kenya, anchored by the Ksh 100 billion Isiolo–Wajir–Mandera highway and Ksh 38.5 billion in development projects across Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties. The celebrations, held on June 1, 2026, marked the first time a national event of this scale has been hosted in North Eastern Kenya since independence. Ruto apologised for decades of exclusion and framed the investments as a deliberate effort to connect the region to markets, services, and economic opportunity.
Key Overview
- Event: 63rd Madaraka Day, held in Wajir County — the first national celebration hosted in North Eastern Kenya
- Flagship Project: Ksh 100 billion, 750 km Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor linking Isiolo, Wajir, and Mandera
- Regional Spending: Ksh 38.5 billion allocated to development projects across Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera
- Housing: Ksh 15.6 billion for 4,600 affordable housing units in Wajir County
- Livestock Gains: Meat exports up 84% from Ksh 8.9 billion (2022) to Ksh 16.4 billion (2025), per the President
- Youth: Over 2,500 youth in Wajir County benefiting from the NYOTA programme
A Historic First for North Eastern Kenya
Wajir County hosted its first-ever national celebration on June 1, 2026, as thousands gathered at the newly constructed 10,000-seater Wajir Stadium to mark Kenya’s 63rd Madaraka Day. The event, themed “Education, Skills and the Future,” carried deep symbolic weight for a region that has historically felt neglected by successive national governments.
President Ruto opened his address with an apology to residents of Northern Kenya, acknowledging decades of deliberate exclusion from national development. “For decades, distance was used to justify exclusion. Today, we are defeating distance,” he said, framing his administration’s spending as a corrective to historical marginalisation that had left the region disconnected from markets, services, and economic opportunity.
The Ksh 100 Billion Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor
The centrepiece of Ruto’s agenda is the Ksh 100 billion, 750-kilometre Isiolo–Wajir–Mandera highway, formally known as the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project. It is the longest single road project in Kenya since independence, traversing Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties across 11 sections.
Construction began in August 2024 and was 40% complete as of February 2026, with KeNHA reporting that various sections are progressing within planned timelines. The project is jointly financed by the World Bank and the Kenyan government, and completion is targeted for January 2028.
Ruto also noted that the 420 km Isiolo–Garissa–Lamu road, being built at a cost of Ksh 27 billion, is on course.
Ksh 38.5 Billion for Three Northern Counties
Beyond the highway, the President said the government is investing Ksh 38.5 billion across Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties. These funds are supporting affordable housing, student accommodation, modern markets, police housing, classrooms, and other infrastructure.
Wajir County is among the beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Programme, with Ksh 15.6 billion allocated for the construction of 4,600 housing units. The President also directed the Ministry of Energy to undertake affirmative action measures to accelerate electricity connectivity in the region, which has some of the country’s lowest connection rates. He commissioned a mini-grid power project in Habaswein and announced plans for additional mini-grids across Wajir County.
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Livestock Sector Growth
Northern Kenya’s livestock economy was a major focus of the Madaraka Day address. The President said the government has distributed 52,000 sheep, goats, and cattle to over 10,000 households across 16 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands counties, vaccinated at least 10 million livestock, and expanded local vaccine production to over 123 million doses.
Ruto cited significant gains in the sector nationally, stating that meat exports rose 84% from Ksh 8.9 billion in 2022 to Ksh 16.4 billion in 2025, while milk production increased from 4.6 billion litres to 5.3 billion litres and dairy exports grew from Ksh 4.9 billion to Ksh 14.2 billion over the same period. Independent data from the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources shows Kenya’s meat exports grew from Ksh 11.5 billion in 2022 to Ksh 19 billion in 2023, reflecting strong demand particularly from Gulf markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar. The livestock sector contributes approximately 12% of Kenya’s GDP and 40% of agricultural output.
Youth Empowerment Through NYOTA
The President highlighted the NYOTA programme — the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement Project — as a key tool for economic inclusion in the region. More than 2,500 youth across all 30 wards of Wajir County have received business capital, training, and mentorship through the programme. Across Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera combined, over 7,200 young people have benefited.
NYOTA is a Ksh 5 billion World Bank-financed initiative targeting 820,000 vulnerable youth across all 47 counties over five years. In the first phase, each beneficiary received Ksh 50,000 in start-up capital. By the conclusion of Phase One, more than 123,000 young entrepreneurs had benefited nationally.
The government is also investing in Jitume Digital Hubs, ICT centres, and digital skills programmes in the region so that, as Ruto put it, “a young person in Wajir can compete with any young person in Kenya.”
Looking Ahead
The celebrations also saw Ruto announce plans for major irrigation and dam projects in the region, the integration of Madrasa and Duksi into the basic education system, and the upgrading of Wajir Airport. Wajir residents gifted the President 100 camels as a cultural tribute following the celebrations.
Whether the momentum generated by Madaraka Day translates into sustained development remains the central question for a region that has heard many promises before. But for Wajir, hosting the nation’s attention — even for a day — marked a shift that residents say felt long overdue.
Sources: Capital FM / Citizen Digital / The Star / Tuko / Dawan Africa / The Kenya Times / Kenyans.co.ke / KBC / Daily Nation / The Standard
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