Ruto Urged to Deliver Northern Kenya Promises Through Infrastructure Fund

by STEPHEN ASTARIKOFriday June 5, 2026

Muktar Dahir, Garissa County Human Rights Defenders Network, speaking to the press at a Garissa hotel./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Human rights organisations in Garissa are pressing President William Ruto to turn his words on Northern Kenya into measurable action.

They want the newly created National Infrastructure Fund to be fully rolled out and say the region should be the first to benefit from it.

Speaking to reporters in Garissa town on the sidelines of a training forum, the activists said Ruto’s recent admission that Northern Kenya has suffered decades of marginalisation was a welcome step, but one that must now be matched by visible development.

Led by Garissa County Human Rights Defenders Network coordinator Muktar Dahir and Garissa county MUHURI coordinator Abdihakim Shurie, the group was responding to comments the President made during a recent trip to Eldas in Wajir county.

On that visit, Ruto cast the National Infrastructure Fund as a central tool for financing major projects and tapping the economic promise of long-neglected areas.

He said the fund would help bankroll large investments in water harvesting, storage and irrigation, with the aim of turning Northern Kenya into a significant food-producing region.

“This fund was created with the sole purpose of, among other development projects, ensuring the new 2.5 million acres of land is utilised in water harvesting, water storage and irrigation,” Ruto said.

“This will make sure that Eldas, Wajir and other parts of Northern Kenya and the country at large become the country’s breadbasket, as well as help in livestock production so that we become a food-secure country.”

The National Infrastructure Fund was enacted in 2026 after receiving parliamentary approval and presidential assent. It is intended to raise money for major infrastructure projects without increasing taxes or depending heavily on foreign borrowing.

Planned funding sources include pension fund investments, private capital, privatisation proceeds and strategic partnerships, with the government eyeing projects in transport, energy, water and agriculture.

Responding to the President’s remarks, Dahir said the acknowledgment of past exclusion mattered, but communities in the region now expect action rather than promises.

“The President has done something many leaders before him were unwilling to do — publicly admit that Northern Kenya was marginalised by successive governments and even apologise on behalf of the state. That acknowledgement was important and long overdue,” he said.

“However, apologies alone cannot change the lives of our people. What will make a difference is ensuring the National Infrastructure Fund is actualised and that the first beneficiaries are the communities that have borne the brunt of historical neglect.”

Dahir said Northern Kenya holds vast but underused potential in agriculture and livestock, yet years of weak investment in water systems have kept the region behind.

“If the government is serious about correcting historical injustices, then Northern Kenya should be at the front of the queue when these funds begin to flow. This is where transformative projects can have the greatest impact on livelihoods, food security and economic growth.”

Shurie backed that view, saying the President’s ambition of making Northern Kenya a food production hub will only work if it is supported by firm financing and deliberate investment.

“We have heard a bold vision from the President, and it is a vision many people in this region support. But visions must be backed by resources and timelines,” he said.

“The National Infrastructure Fund should not remain a policy on paper. It must become an instrument that delivers dams, irrigation schemes, roads and other infrastructure capable of unlocking the potential of this region.”

Shurie said the President’s comment that only a small share of Kenya’s land currently contributes to food production underscores the need to put more money into arid and semi-arid areas.

“If the government follows through on its commitments, this region can become a major contributor to the country’s agricultural output and livestock industry.”

The activists also called on the government to put water projects at the top of the agenda, arguing that reliable water supplies are the key to unlocking the region’s economy.

Their remarks come as the government pushes ahead with a sweeping plan to build 50 mega dams and more than 1,000 smaller dams nationwide to support irrigation, food production and climate resilience.

During a February visit to Garissa, President Ruto said those investments would reshape the economic outlook of Northern Kenya.

One of the headline projects is the High Grand Falls Dam in Ijara, which is expected to be Kenya’s largest dam once completed.

The President said the dam will open up large-scale irrigation across hundreds of thousands of acres, creating new opportunities in food production, jobs and broader economic growth.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The demand from Garissa’s human rights groups reflects rising pressure on the government to deliver on long-standing development pledges in regions that have felt left behind for years. Ruto’s acknowledgement of Northern Kenya’s historical neglect was widely noted, but residents are increasingly insisting on concrete projects instead of political assurances. The National Infrastructure Fund could help close enduring gaps in water, irrigation, transport and agricultural infrastructure that have limited the region’s growth. Its success, however, will hinge on transparency, speed and fair distribution of resources. If it is handled well, Northern Kenya could become a stronger pillar of Kenya’s food security and economic expansion.