NAIROBI— A coalition of North-Eastern Parliamentarians (NEP) boycotted President William Ruto’s third State of the Nation Address on Thursday, branding it a glaring omission of Kenya’s arid north—In what many termed as fiery display of regional discontent.
Delivered amid heightened security at Parliament Buildings, Ruto’s speech painted an optimistic portrait of national progress, but critics say it left Northern Kenya’s chronic crises in the dust.
President Ruto, flanked by First Lady Rachel and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, struck a defiant tone before a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate. He hailed Kenya’s economic rebound, boasting GDP growth and reforms propelling the nation toward “first-world” status akin to the Asian Tigers.
Key highlights included a revamped cancer treatment package under the Social Health Authority, TVET enrollment surging to 718,000 from 341,000 in 2022, and ambitious housing drives alongside 2,500 km of highway dualing. “We must abandon the mindset of mediocrity,” Ruto declared, dismissing naysayers as “high priests of eternal pessimism.”
Yet, as the applause faded, NEP leaders issued a scathing joint statement outside Parliament. “The President’s address is a blueprint for the south, but a blank page for the north,” MP Adan Daud thundered. They accused Ruto of ignoring the region’s existential threats: a punishing drought ravaging counties like Marsabit and Wajir, where communities endure weeks without rain, exacerbating food insecurity and pastoralist displacement. “No mention of water projects, no irrigation schemes, no security for banditry-plagued herders,” Salah added, echoing sentiments from Garissa and Mandera reps. The boycott, they said, was a “protest against erasure,” underscoring how Northern Kenya—home to over 5 million—feels perpetually sidelined in national planning.
The rift exposes deepening fault lines in Ruto’s broad-based coalition, forged after his 2025 “handshake” with the late Raila Odinga. While Ruto touted universal healthcare and digital transformation, NEP MPs decried the absence of targeted interventions, like expanding the Galana-Kulalu irrigation scheme or bolstering anti-banditry operations. “It’s like the President has forgotten us,” Daud lamented, vowing to push amendments in the upcoming budget cycle.
“President Ruto’s state of the nation address was just what use to be the ‘Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965’, Northern Kenya has been ignored,” MP Adan Daud Added
On his part, Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney accused President Ruto of ignoring Northern Counties despite their support for his re-election.
“If Kenya treats Northern Kenya as an appendage & liability despite our taxes, then allow us to secede. 70% of the land, 12%+ of GDP from livestock yet ignored.We pinned hopes on president Ruto, even sang for two terms. Those hopes are slipping away.” Mp Saney said.
Analysts warn this could fuel ethnic tensions ahead of 2027 polls.
“Northern voices are vital for cohesion,” said political commentator Muthoni Wanyeki.
Ruto’s office dismissed the critique as “myopic,” urging unity around shared prosperity. Northern Kenya’s grievances lingered a stark reminder that Kenya’s transformation narrative risks fracturing without inclusive strokes.
