The Madaraka Day fete will remain a moment to relish for the North

By Abdilatif Maalim

When William Ruto rose to deliver his Madaraka Day speech at the brand-new Wajir Stadium on 1 June 2026, he etched his name into the annals of history. No doubt it will a bar too high for any President who comes after him. It will be the first times since Kenya’s independence that a sitting President presides over a function to mark the country independence in a district in the former Northern Frontier Districts.

Once the subjects of neglect by previous regimes that has made the region lag in almost all the facets of life, the day brings hope and renewed sense of optimism and a moment of great joy. It is a day when the ‘Other Kenya’ will be shake off that tag, and a moment that I hope will bury the resentment of the people of the North. For many of us it brings memories of our childhood days, when we anxiously waited for copies of the President’s speech be delivered and to be read by the District Officer. For the people of Wajir to see the low flying Kenya Air Force march will bring a sight that will only be the preserve of the few to the masses.

For the people of Wajir and the wider North, this year’s Madaraka Day celebration will be a moment to cherish. For a region that has always borne the brunt of subsequent marginalization, the moves being made by the President and his administration are steps made in the right direction. While the national celebration will not feed the hungry and heal the sick and bring about overnight transformation, it heralds a new dawn. Already, the excitement and hope generated by the steps taken by President Ruto’s administration arguably make the best President, the people of the North, have had.

As much as it’s about politics, for anyone who cares about the North, this day will no doubt go down as the day real emancipation happened for the people of the North. It will be a day to celebrate and rejoice, and for sure for Northerners in the crowd at the Wajir Stadium, the feeling will be one of great excitement.

For the people of Wajir, the day has come with good things including serious infrastructure and a facelift for Wajir town. The day is a culmination of great efforts by the Ruto administration, it is a day to celebrate development and one that has the potential to spark real development in the wider north. Moreover, I hope this day serves as one that will put the dark part of massacre and heal the wound of the repressive regimes.

For the people of the North, the day should serve as moment that comes with goodies that have evaded the region since the country took its independence. It is my sincere prayers that the administration of President, William Ruto will see through its main flagship project in the region. Pulling such an event with the success will also serve a new model of the two levels of government working together. It also brings to fore the question around devolution. It shows good leadership at the county can also attract huge investment from the national government. In this regard, I would like to congratulate in advance, Governor, Ahmed Abdullahi and his administration for their firm belief in this project.

Away from the fanfare, there will be real issues that needs to be fixed. Compared to the rest of the country, poverty levels in the North remains the highest with several counties reporting over 60-80% of residents living below the poverty line. While, the current administration efforts are welcome, the people of the North are confronted with many challenges including persistent droughts that threaten their very livelihood as the regions population largely relies on pastoralism. The region infrastructure is one that makes traveling through road a nightmare and schools in the region being the worst in the country.

Poor governance is also the big elephant in the room. Despite billions of exchequer funds pouring into the counties, it seems devolution is not working as expected and with coffer in the Constituency Development Fund serving being mismanaged.

For the masses, their hopes are pegged on the fact, that the day comes with sustainable development for not just Wajir but for the region. On their part, it is time for the masses to acknowledge that real development can come when the vote good leaders. It is imperative for the population and the leadership unite for development.

It is my hope that we pull this great day with peace and celebrations that befit it.

 Abdilatif Maalim is a former journalist