President Ruto Announces Wajir as Host of 2026 Madaraka Day
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President William Ruto has announced that the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations will be held in Wajir County.
The announcement, made on Thursday, February 11, 2026, marks the first time in Kenya’s 62-year history that a national day celebration will be hosted in Northern Kenya.
Speaking during the disbursement of NYOTA funds in Wajir Stadium, the President emphasized that the decision is a deliberate effort to address “historical injustices” and the systemic marginalization that has long sidelined the North Eastern frontier.
“I want to say that this year’s Madaraka Day Celebration will be celebrated here in this city, Wajir,” Ruto announced.
President Ruto stated that the “Bottom-Up” agenda must reach every corner of the Republic, noting that for too long, Northern Kenya was treated as an afterthought in national development and recognition.
“For the past 62 year,s since independence, Northern Kenya has never hosted a national day. It is time to correct the historical injustices that marginalized sections of our Republic in matters of development, recognition, and inclusivity,” the President declared.
He further said the government is implementing the promises they gave to the people of Wajir one by one.
He said that all the projects they promised earlier are already taking shape in the region.
President Ruto also said they are constructing a 900 million stadium in Wajir to host this year’s celebration on 1st June, 2026.
“Because we are here today, we are going for a ground breaking session for a nine hundred million stadium here in Wajir Stadium and by God’s will, inshallah, we will use it when ready on 1 st June in the year of the Lord 2026,” Ruto said.
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Madaraka Day Celebrations
Every year on June 1, Madaraka Day is celebrated to honor Kenya’s achievement of internal self-government from British colonialists in 1963.
Security force displays, cultural performances, and national addresses are customarily used to commemorate the holidays.
In an effort to decentralize national celebrations, Kenya decided to start holding national public holiday celebrations outside of Nairobi in 2016.
The change was initially announced in December 2015 when the government of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that Jamhuri Day (December 12) would continue to be held in Nairobi as the symbolic national event, while Madaraka Day (June 1) and Mashujaa Day (October 20) would be held annually in different counties.
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New look of Wajir Stadium, upgraded to fit to a proper standard. PHOTO/Wajir County Gov’t/X