Kenya health minister says Kenyan Somalis have gained freedoms under Ruto

Wednesday June 3, 2026

Wajir, Kenya (AX) — Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday said the Somali community in Kenya has secured political freedoms and openings that, he argued, were previously out of reach under President William Ruto’s administration.

Addressing a gathering in Wajir County, Duale mounted a strong defense of Ruto’s approach to northern Kenya and to the Somali community, saying generations had faced discrimination in schooling, public sector jobs, access to identity documents and participation in government.

“Somalis in Kenya have now gained independence. President Ruto is being fought for what he gave to Somalis,” Duale said.

Duale said earlier administrations had placed heavy restrictions on Somali communities and viewed them largely through a security prism, a posture that he said narrowed access to services and opportunities. According to him, Ruto’s government has shifted that approach and moved to include northern Kenya more squarely in the national development plan.

He added that the current administration has directed resources toward education, including girls’ education, and opened more development opportunities in areas with significant Somali populations.

Duale also commended Ruto for appointing Somali leaders to national institutions and bringing them into government, describing the president as someone who understands the community’s concerns.

The remarks come amid an ongoing national conversation in Kenya over equity in public services, development in northeastern counties and the place of the Somali community in politics and the economy.

Wajir on June 1 hosted Kenya’s 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations, marking the first time the national holiday was held in the northeastern county. Government officials portrayed the event as a statement of inclusion for a region long associated with marginalization.

Ruto also issued a presidential proclamation in Wajir on Feb. 5, 2025, scrapping the extra vetting requirement for residents of border counties applying for national identity cards. The presidency cast the move as an end to years of discrimination in the issuance of identification documents.

The extra-vetting practice traces back to post-independence security measures following the Shifta War of 1963-1967, when ethnic Somalis in northern Kenya sought to join Somalia. For decades, residents of counties including Wajir, Mandera and Garissa were required to undergo additional screening before obtaining identity documents.

Rights groups and researchers have long said the vetting process reinforced suspicion of Kenyan Somalis and other border communities while deepening their exclusion. Analysts have also cautioned that discrimination and poor access to citizenship papers can intensify alienation among young people.

Duale’s comments are likely to sharpen political debate ahead of the 2027 elections, with Ruto allies pointing to northern Kenya policies as evidence of inclusion and critics questioning whether the promises have produced lasting change.