Wajir residents decry neglect despite Madaraka Day fanfare

 President William Ruto commissions the Sh460 million Eldas water project in Wajir County on June 2, 2026. [PCS]

A section of Wajir South residents feel sidelined even after the fanfare stories surrounding the newly built Wajir Stadium that hosted this year’s historic Madaraka Day celebrations.

They said that following the formation of the broad-based government, areas previously in the opposition now appear to be benefiting at the expense of traditional UDA strongholds in the county.

Former Wajir Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Chairman Abdirahman Abdille has led residents in calling out what they term the continued neglect of Wajir South despite supporting President William Ruto since his days as Deputy President.

“At a time when it was politically unpopular to associate with the then-government, we welcomed DP Ruto, provided logistical support, and mobilised our people behind him,” Abdille recalled.

While welcoming the national government’s renewed interest in Wajir, he urged the President not to forget those who supported and popularised him in the region from the outset.

Abdille and other Wajir South residents want President Ruto to prioritise the Mogodashe–Wajir road and address the shortage of clean water in the area.

“We are among President Ruto’s founding supporters in Wajir and the North Eastern region. We hosted him wholeheartedly during his 2022 presidential campaigns, yet we have since been sidelined in favour of his former fierce critics,” Abdille said.

In 2022, the prominent businessman hosted President Ruto’s Wajir Economic Forum during the campaigns, with many Wajir South residents in attendance.

Abdille expressed frustration over what he described as the blatant exclusion of Wajir South’s UDA leadership from the Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir town. The event was attended by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, among other leaders.

During the celebrations, President Ruto became emotional as he reflected on decades of deliberate state neglect of the Northern Frontier. He cited Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965, which classified certain regions as “high potential” while sidelining others, and apologised to the people of Wajir for historical injustices.

“I could not help but shed tears recalling my earlier visits when the town was barren and lacked any meaningful development,” the President said.

The Wajir Stadium was constructed at a cost of KSh 4 billion, which, according to government sources, also covered tarmac roads and a Level 5 hospital equipped with beds, operating theatres, and diagnostic facilities.

President Ruto announced that the government would invest a further KSh 15 billion in Wajir County to build 18 modern markets, 2,000-bed student hostels, and 4,600 affordable housing units to expand economic opportunities, improve living standards, and create jobs.

Despite their grievances, Abdille reaffirmed support for the President. “Even then, we are still solidly behind the President and we support his re-election so that he can do much more for our people,” he said.

He described Ruto as “a big blessing to the people of Kenya” and backed the two-term call.