Wednesday June 3, 2026
Wajir, Kenya (HOL) — Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said Tuesday that the Somali community in Kenya has gained unprecedented political freedoms and opportunities under President William Ruto’s administration.
Speaking at an event in Wajir County, Duale defended Ruto’s policies toward northern Kenya and the Somali community, saying Somalis had long faced discrimination in education, public employment, access to identity documents and participation in government.
Duale said previous governments had imposed restrictions and treated Somali communities through a security lens, limiting access to services and opportunities. He said that situation had changed under Ruto, whose administration has sought to present northern Kenya as part of the country’s development agenda.
He said the current government has invested in education, including girls’ education, and expanded development opportunities in regions with large Somali populations.
Duale also praised Ruto for appointing and involving Somali leaders in national institutions, describing him as a president who understands the concerns of the community.
His remarks came as political debate continues in Kenya over equity in public services, development in northeastern counties and the role of the Somali community in national politics and the economy.
Wajir hosted Kenya’s 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, the first time the national holiday was held in the northeastern county. The event was widely framed by government officials as a symbol of inclusion for a region long associated with marginalization.
Ruto also signed a presidential proclamation in Wajir on Feb. 5, 2025, ending extra vetting requirements for residents of border counties seeking national identity cards. The presidency described the policy as a move to end years of discrimination in the issuance of identification documents.
The extra-vetting system had its roots in post-independence security policies after the Shifta War of 1963-1967, when ethnic Somalis in northern Kenya sought to join Somalia. For decades, residents of counties such as Wajir, Mandera and Garissa were subjected to additional screening before receiving identity documents.
Rights advocates and researchers have long argued that the vetting system deepened exclusion and reinforced suspicion toward Kenyan Somalis and other border communities. Analysts have also warned that discrimination and weak access to citizenship documents can fuel alienation among young people.
Duale’s comments are expected to feed into broader political debate ahead of the 2027 elections, with Ruto’s allies presenting his northern Kenya policies as proof of inclusion and critics questioning whether government promises have translated into lasting change.
