President William Ruto has called his administration’s investment in Northern Kenya as deliberate efforts to open up the region for economic prosperity.
Speaking during the 63rd Madaraka Day in Wajir County, President Ruto apologized for the previous administrations’ exclusion of the region in national development.
He said currently the government is investing Ksh 38.5 billion to support various development projects in Wajir, Garissa, Mandera counties which will set up the region to investment in untapped sectors.
“These investments are delivering affordable housing, student accommodation, modern markets, police housing, classrooms, and other supporting infrastructure that will improve lives, expand economic opportunity, and accelerate the region’s development,” said President Ruto during the national celebrations in Wajir County
The Head of State said the infrastructure investment being undertaken in the region will ensure the enhanced connectivity among communities in region.
“For decades, distance was used to justify exclusion. Today, we are defeating distance. With the Ksh 100 billion, 750 kilometre Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor linking Isiolo, Wajir and Mandera, we are undertaking the most significant road investment in this region since independence and connecting communities that were once isolated from markets, investment, essential services, and economic opportunity,” he added.
In the livestock sector which continues to be a key economic activity for residents of Wajir and the northern region as a whole, the government has distributed 52,000 sheep, goats, and cattle to over 10,000 households across 16 Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, to help families rebuild livestock wealth lost through drought and other shocks.
Additionally, the government has vaccinated at least 10 million livestock, expanded local vaccine production to over 123 million doses, established feedlots and hay storage facilities, restored more than 305,000 hectares of degraded rangelands, expanded breeding programmes, and strengthened livestock training, marketing, and market infrastructure, including here in Wajir.
“The results of these deliberate interventions are already visible. Meat exports have increased by 84pc, from Ksh 8.9 billion in 2022 to Ksh 16.4 billion in 2025. Milk production has increased from 4.6 billion litres to 5.3 billion litres, while dairy exports have grown from Ksh 4.9 billion to Ksh 14.2 billion. These gains are translating into higher incomes for livestock and pastoral families, stronger markets for producers, and greater confidence in the future of the pastoral economy,” he noted.
Wajir County is also among beneficiaries of the Affordable Housing Programme where the government has injected Ksh 15.6 billion for construction of 4,600 housing units.
Other engagements the government has undertaken to improve the livelihoods of young people living the north include NYOTA programme where more than 2,500 youth across all 30 wards of Wajir County have benefited through business capital, training, and mentorship.
Other include Jitume Digital Hubs, ICT centres, digital skills programmes, and digital infrastructure.
