President William Ruto has apologised to the people of northern Kenya for years of systemic exclusion, infrastructural neglect, and policy failures perpetrated by previous administrations.
Speaking during the national Madaraka Day celebrations hosted in Wajir County on June 1, 2026, Ruto directly confronted one of the nation’s most enduring historical injustices.
“On behalf of the people and the Republic of Kenya, I offer my sincere apology for the marginalisation that you have endured over the years. Poleni sana, ndugu zetu. It was never meant to be this way,” said President Ruto.
For the first time in 63 years of self-rule, a national celebration of this magnitude has been hosted in Wajir, the heart of northern Kenya.
The event effectively placed the frontier county firmly in the national spotlight, drawing thousands of residents, local leaders, and dignitaries to a region historically viewed as isolated from the center of power.
Leaders have widely viewed the relocation of the national celebrations as a deliberate recognition of the region’s growing strategic importance and a tangible demonstration of the government’s commitment to inclusive national development.
“This is what we meant when we said we will leave no one behind,” the President stated, “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.”
Reflecting on the historical trajectory of the nation, President Ruto emphasized that the celebration was far more than an exercise in public relations.
“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 emphasized.
At the same time, the President acknowledged that decades after independence, the region remained severely left behind due to deliberate neglect, structural marginalisation, discrimination, and broader policy failures.
“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 declared.
The Head of State outlined an ambitious roadmap aimed at correcting these historical imbalances through targeted capital investments and infrastructural integration.
