WAJIR, Kenya – President William Ruto has officially launched a comprehensive three-day development tour across Northern Kenya, marking a significant push to accelerate infrastructure and economic transformation in historically marginalized regions. President Ruto tour Northern Kenya as the nation prepares for the first-ever Madaraka Day celebrations to be held in North Eastern Kenya, a move the President describes as a deliberate statement of national inclusion and equal citizenship.
The President commenced his tour on Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Habaswein town, Wajir South Constituency, where he was received by a delegation including Wajir Governor Ahmed Jiir, Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale (Health), Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), and other senior government officials.
Solar Plant Commissioning Marks Energy Breakthrough for Wajir
In a landmark achievement for the region’s energy access, the Ruto Begins Three-Day Development Tour of Northern Kenya with the commissioning of the Habaswein Solar PV-BESS-Diesel Hybrid Power Plant, a Ksh.639 million investment by the Kenya Power and Lighting Company that will provide electricity to 8,565 households.
Addressing residents of Habaswein town, President Ruto acknowledged the region’s historical energy deficit, stating that Northern Kenya has enjoyed the least access to electricity in the country. He announced that the government is investing Ksh.8.4 billion this year to connect more than 53,300 households to electricity in Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa counties.
“I have directed the Ministry of Energy to implement affirmative action measures to speed up connections in the region,” President Ruto said, emphasizing the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
The President further announced that plans are at an advanced stage to connect Mandera County to the electricity grid from neighboring Ethiopia, which is only 70 kilometers away, while nine generators are currently being installed to ensure stable power supply in Mandera.
Road Infrastructure Boost as Regional Connectivity Takes Shape
The President inspected ongoing road construction projects, including the upgrading of 7.5 kilometers of roads within Habaswein town, a Ksh.557 million project aimed at enhancing mobility and improving access to essential services. He also inspected the tarmacking of 10 kilometers of roads within Griftu town in Wajir West Constituency, a Ksh.1 billion investment.
President Ruto assured residents that the 740-kilometer road network in the region, being implemented under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project, will be completed on time. “Many times, these roads have been promised, but we are building them today because it is your right as citizens of this nation,” he told the gathering.
The government has eight contractors on site on the Mandera-Isiolo road corridor, a critical 750-kilometer artery that will integrate Northern Kenya into national and regional trade networks. Additional commitments include Sh330 million for road improvement within Banisa town.
Education Transformation Through Local Teacher Recruitment
In a major policy shift aimed at addressing chronic teacher shortages and high turnover rates in Northern Kenya, President Ruto announced that the government has adopted affirmative action by employing an extra 100 teachers in each constituency in the region.
“Previously, most teachers in this region came from other parts of the country. Often, learning activities were interrupted for long whenever the teachers left for one reason or the other. But we want to nurture teachers from the local community to take charge of the schools here,” the President explained.
To support this initiative, the government has established four teacher training colleges in Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera, which currently have an enrollment of over 4,800 teacher trainees from the local community. The President directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to fast-track the employment of 1,800 teachers in Northern Kenya, with instructions that they report when schools reopen after the holiday.
National ID Access and Voter Registration Push
During the tour, President Ruto addressed a long-standing grievance regarding access to national identification documents in Northern Kenya. He reminded residents that his administration has stopped the extra vetting that previously hindered North Eastern residents from obtaining national IDs.
“It is a constitutional right for every citizen to be given an identification card and thus participate fully in the affairs of the Republic of Kenya,” the President said at Mandera Stadium during a women empowerment function.
He called on residents to register for IDs and as voters so that they can participate in the country’s electoral process, framing documentation as both a right and a pathway to full citizenship engagement.
Water and Housing Projects Announced
The President announced a Sh350 million investment to supply water to Banisa town from the Tarama borehole, approximately 10 kilometers away, addressing chronic water scarcity in the region.
On housing, President Ruto unveiled a Sh600 million affordable housing programme targeting Banisa and Mandera, which he said will deliver about nine housing structures aimed at improving living conditions and stimulating local economies. “This is part of ensuring dignity through decent housing for all Kenyans,” he stated.
An additional Sh10 million was pledged for the construction of a mosque in Banisa, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale contributing an additional Sh2 million to the project.
Political Messaging Amid Development Focus
The Ruto Begins Three-Day Development Tour of Northern Kenya also carried political undertones, with the President taking swipes at opposition figures while rallying support for his development agenda. He described his critics as “people full of hatred and anger” who lack a plan for the country.
“We have people in this country full of hatred, insults and anger. They have no plan for this country. I pity these people. They cannot even lead a cow,” Dr. Ruto said in Banisa constituency.
The President contrasted the opposition’s approach with his administration’s strategic planning, citing the National Infrastructure Fund that has already raised Sh100 billion with a target of an additional Sh200 billion. “In everything I do, I have a plan on how it will get funded,” he asserted.
Madaraka Day Celebrations: A Historic First for Wajir
The three-day tour culminates in Monday’s Madaraka Day celebrations, which will be held in Wajir town for the first time since Kenya’s independence in 1963. President Ruto welcomed North Eastern residents and all Kenyans to attend the historic event.
The theme for the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations is “Education, Skills and the Future,” placing learning, innovation, and skills development at the center of national discourse.
The government has invested heavily in preparations for the event, including construction of new tarmac roads, street lighting, electricity, and water connections within Wajir Town. The Wajir International Airport has also undergone significant upgrades to its runway, apron, and visitor check-in areas.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo confirmed that the historic event for the county has been well planned to ensure the peace and security of all attendees. The 20-kilometer Wajir urban roads programme and the upgraded Wajir Stadium are scheduled for commissioning around the celebrations.
National Infrastructure Fund Driving Regional Transformation
President Ruto reiterated that the National Infrastructure Fund is the instrument the government is using to correct historical marginalization. “The first three items that we will be funding using the National Infrastructure Fund are not just going to be roads; it’s not going to be the airport, which is on course, but we have the first 12 dams that are going to be funded under the National Infrastructure Fund,” he said.
Notably, 60 percent of those dams are targeted for Northern Kenya, reflecting the region’s potential for agricultural transformation. “We have a lot of land in northern Kenya, very fertile land. In fact, that is the future of the agricultural and food security intervention in Kenya,” President Ruto stated.
Security and Integration
The development push comes alongside enhanced security operations in North Eastern Kenya, where the government has strengthened border security through a coordinated, multi-agency approach involving the National Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service, and Border Patrol Unit.
As Interior PS Dr. Raymond Omollo wrote in a recent analysis, hosting Madarada Day in Wajir sends a powerful national message: “When the national flag rises in Wajir on Madaraka Day, it will carry a message long overdue: that no part of Kenya is too distant to belong, too insecure to develop, or too marginal to matter”.
The Ruto Begins Three-Day Development Tour of Northern Kenya represents a comprehensive strategy to transform a region long viewed through the lens of marginalization into an economic frontier, with infrastructure, education, energy, and security investments laying the foundation for sustainable growth. As the President prepares to lead the nation in Madaraka Day celebrations from Wajir, his message to residents is clear: Northern Kenya will not be left behind in the country’s transformation agenda.