President William Ruto on Monday issued a public apology to the people of Northern Kenya for decades of marginalization, while announcing key reforms aimed at ending discrimination in the issuance of national identification documents.
Speaking during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations at Wajir Stadium in Wajir County, the Head of State acknowledged the historical injustices faced by communities in the region and pledged the government’s commitment to equality and inclusion.
“I want to tell you that, on behalf of the people of Kenya today, as I stand here as President and leader of our great nation, to the people of Northern Kenya, for this marginalization, I want to apologize on behalf of the nation of Kenya. Poleni sana. It was never meant to be this way,” said Ruto.
President Ruto expressed deep regret over the historical state of the region, tracing its challenges back to past policiesmost notably Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965. According to the President, this policy entrenched a skewed development paradigm that concentrated resources in so-called “high-potential” areas, while classifying vast regions like the former North Eastern Province as marginal.
“The consequences were devastating and long-lasting,” the President noted. “Decades without adequate roads, water, healthcare, or schools. Communities were pushed to the fringes of their own Republic. Their patriotism was questioned. Their citizenship was questioned. Their aspirations undermined.”
The celebrations marked a historic milestone as Wajir became the first county in Northern Kenya to host the national Madaraka Day event since Kenya attained independence.
The President used the occasion to highlight changes in the registration and issuance of national identification cards, saying the government had abolished additional vetting requirements that residents of Northern Kenya were previously subjected to before obtaining IDs.
For years, applicants from several counties in the region underwent extra verification procedures, a practice that critics argued unfairly targeted specific communities and delayed access to essential government services.
Ruto maintained that while citizenship verification remains necessary for national security, discriminatory practices have been eliminated.
“We did not abolish verification of citizenship. We abolished discrimination. We abolished the targeting of entire communities simply because of their ethnicity or place of birth. A strong nation does not choose between security and justice. A strong nation protects both,” he said.
The President noted that the reforms stemmed from a Presidential Declaration he signed in February 2025 on the registration and issuance of IDs and birth certificates in Northern Kenya and other affected counties.
“The Constitution of Kenya says clearly that every Kenyan, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or geography, deserves equal protection, dignity and treatment under the law,” he said.
Ruto further challenged the long-held perception that remote and arid regions were less important to national development.
“That was wrong then, it is wrong now, and it will forever remain wrong,” President Ruto promised. “But we are dismantling that legacy of exclusionone road, one health facility, one school, one water project, and one opportunity at a time.”
The President said his administration remains committed to ensuring that all parts of the country benefit equally from development and government services, regardless of their location.