Wajir elders gift Ruto 100 camels in appreciation at Madaraka fete

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOTuesday June 2, 2026

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi delivering his remarks at Wajir Stadium during the Madaraka Day celebrations./PCS

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has said the people of Wajir, speaking through their council of elders, will present President William Ruto with 100 camels as a symbolic show of gratitude for what he described as the President’s steadfast support for development, inclusion, and empowerment in Northern Kenya.

The pledge was made on Monday during the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations held at Wajir Stadium in Wajir County.

“As a gesture of gratitude for your service to our people and your commitment to ensuring that Northern Kenya is fully part of Kenya’s development story, the elders of Wajir have agreed to gift Your Excellency 100 camels,” the Governor declared.

His announcement drew loud applause, cheers, and celebration from thousands of people attending the national event, reflecting the strong appreciation many residents have for the Head of State’s administration.

The moment underscored how President Ruto’s push for inclusion, equity, and development in a region long viewed as neglected has struck a chord across Northern Kenya.

In his address, Governor Ahmed commended the President’s leadership and singled out initiatives meant to address historical injustices and bring Northern Kenya more firmly into the national mainstream.

“Your Excellency, Northern Kenya did not sprout when you became President. It is part of the national conversation today because you have clearly demonstrated through action that you are concerned about inclusion and balanced development,” the Governor said.

He said Wajir County considered it an honour to host the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations, and thanked the President for agreeing to his request to bring the national occasion to the region.

Governor Ahmed also praised President Ruto’s “One Kenya, A Kenya for All” agenda, saying it had deepened national unity and created room for reconciliation and healing.

“Your Presidential Proclamation for ‘One Kenya, A Kenya for All’ has further strengthened this journey, opening a courageous space for national healing and helping to stitch together a once-wounded past into a shared future of unity, equity, and prosperity for all,” he said.

The Governor gave particular attention to the President’s recent proclamation ending the vetting requirement that had long been used in the issuance of national identity cards in border counties.

“Nowhere has that spirit of inclusion been felt more deeply than in the recent Presidential Proclamation on the Registration and Issuance of National Identity Cards to Border Counties,” he noted.

“The lifting of discriminatory vetting in the issuance of identification documents was a profound act of political courage. By removing the painful barriers of extra vetting and systemic profiling, you did more than issue identity cards to deserving Kenyans; you restored dignity and their sense of belonging.”

In the governor’s view, the changes have strengthened the constitutional rights of residents in the region and reinforced their place in the Kenyan nation.

“You have strongly affirmed that a child born in Wajir possesses the same rights, the same dreams, and the same ownership of the Kenyan promise as a child born anywhere else in this Republic. For that profound act of justice, the people of Wajir and the entire North Eastern say: Shukran,” Abdullahi said.