President William Ruto has pledged to end decades of exclusion and discrimination against residents of Northern Kenya, vowing to ensure equal citizenship and development for the region.

• The commitment was made during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County.
• President Ruto highlighted the systematic discrimination faced by citizens in obtaining national identity cards, using the example of Wajir resident Bakaja Ibrahim Osman.
• Reforms implemented in February 2025, including the Presidential Declaration on Registration and Issuance of Identity Cards and Birth Certificates, aim to dismantle these historical barriers.
• The government's inclusion efforts also extend to education, with increased national education budget to over Sh702 billion and initiatives to integrate alternative learning pathways into the formal system.