WAJIR, Kenya – WAJIR, Kenya – In an unprecedented and emotionally charged address at the 63rd national Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County, President William Ruto issued a formal apology to the residents of northern Kenya for decades of state-driven marginalisation.
He openly acknowledged the systemic exclusion, infrastructural abandonment, and chronic policy failures perpetrated by successive post-independence governments.
Speaking at the first-ever national celebration of its scale in the region, the Head of State broke from traditional ceremonial remarks to directly confront long-standing historical grievances affecting the North Eastern frontier.
“Poleni sana ndugu zetu (we are very sorry our brothers). It was never meant to be this way,” Ruto declared. “This has been a very emotional moment for me.”
The decision to host Madaraka Day in Wajir marked a symbolic milestone, placing the region at the centre of national attention for the first time in 63 years of self-rule. Thousands of residents, leaders, and dignitaries gathered in the frontier county, which has often been perceived as distant from the country’s political and economic core.
Leaders and observers have interpreted the move as a deliberate effort to acknowledge the region’s strategic importance and reinforce the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
“This is what we meant when we said we will leave no one behind,” the President stated, reaffirming his administration’s development agenda. “For the first time in 63 years of self rule, a national celebration is being hosted here in Wajir, in the heart of northern Kenya.”
Ruto further framed the event as more than a ceremonial occasion, describing it as a turning point in how the state relates to the region.
“It is not a mere ceremonial gesture, it is a national declaration, it is a moment of affirmation that Madaraka, our freedom, our dignity, our self-determination was never meant for some Kenyans, never meant for some region and withheld for others,” Ruto added.
He also acknowledged past governance failures that left the region lagging behind, citing decades of neglect, marginalisation, and discrimination.
“For too long some said the region was too difficult, too remote, too dry, and too insecure to deserve any development. That was wrong then, it is wrong now and it will forever remain wrong,” the President affirmed.
Ruto outlined an ambitious government plan to address these disparities through targeted investment and infrastructure development, saying his administration is committed to bridging the long-standing development gap through sustained socio-economic interventions.
