Kenya President Apologizes to Northern Kenya for Past Development Neglect

President William Ruto issued a formal apology to residents of Northern Kenya for decades of limited government investment in roads, water, healthcare, and schools. The statement came during the 63rd Madaraka Day event held at Wajir Stadium on Monday, the first time the national holiday was observed in the region.

The President cited the 1965 Cabinet Sessional Paper No. 10, which directed development spending toward areas labeled high potential and excluded the northern frontier. He said the policy produced long-term gaps in services and infrastructure. "That was wrong then, it is wrong now and it will forever remain wrong," he said.

Officials stated that citizenship verification continues. Three new teacher training colleges have opened in Wajir, Kotulo, and Mandera, enrolling more than 4,600 trainees. The Ministry of Education was directed to create a framework that incorporates Duksi, Madrassa, and pastoral instruction into the national system.

More than 800,000 residents have registered with the Social Health Authority, which has paid KSh8.1 billion in claims to hospitals in Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera. The government is also directing KSh38.5 billion toward affordable housing projects in the three counties.

Work continues on the 750 km Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor connecting Isiolo, Wajir, and Mandera. A new KSh5 billion County Livestock Investment Company will support more than 350,000 pastoralists across 21 arid and semi-arid counties. Local leaders requested that the refurbished Wajir Stadium be renamed after the late former Wajir West MP Ahmed Khalif, who died in a 2003 plane crash.

The President acceded to the request.