President William Ruto has announced that infrastructure and development projects worth over KSh 38.5 billion are currently at various stages of completion in Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties.
Speaking during Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir, the president said the investments are aimed at accelerating development in a region that has historically lagged behind in access to basic infrastructure and services.
He pointed to the Northern Kenya Gateway Corridor, a 750-kilometre road project linking Isiolo, Wajir and Mandera, describing it as a transformative investment costing close to KSh100 billion. The corridor is expected to open up trade routes and improve mobility across the region.
“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. Yes. This is more than a road project. It is a bridge between exclusion and opportunity, between neglect and investment, and between the Kenya that was and the Kenya we are building,” Ruto said.
Ruto also highlighted the Affordable Housing Programme in Wajir, where KSh 15 billion has been invested in the construction of over 4,000 housing units, alongside markets and student hostels. He said this marks the largest housing intervention the county has witnessed since independence.
In addition, he announced plans to complete and upgrade Wajir Stadium to international standards and rename it in honour of the late Ahmed Khalif, a former minister who died in a plane crash in 2003 shortly after his appointment.
The president further revealed plans to operationalise a civilian wing at the Wajir military base before the end of 2026, aimed at improving public access and regional integration. He also confirmed that a university will be established in Wajir, with funds already set aside and the county expected to provide land for the project.
According to Ruto, these investments are part of a broader strategy to ensure equitable development across all regions of the country.
