Ruto Highlights Youth Empowerment Drive as Key to Northern Kenya's Transformation

June, 01,2026 - President William Ruto has outlined a raft of youth empowerment programmes targeting Northern Kenya, saying his administration is investing in skills development, entrepreneurship and digital opportunities to ensure young people are not disadvantaged by their geographical location.

Speaking during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations at Wajir Stadium ,President Ruto said empowering the youth was central to the government's efforts to address historical marginalisation and unlock the economic potential of the region.

The President said more than 2,500 youths in Wajir County have already benefited from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme through business capital, training and mentorship.

"Already, more than 2,500 youth across all 30 wards of Wajir County have benefited from the NYOTA Programme through business capital, training, and mentorship. Across Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties, more than 7,200 young people have benefited," he said.

Ruto said the government was also expanding digital opportunities through the establishment of Jitume Digital Hubs, ICT centres and digital skills programmes aimed at preparing young people for the global economy.

"We are investing in Jitume Digital Hubs, ICT centres, digital skills programmes and digital infrastructure so that a young person in Wajir can compete with any young person in Kenya and the world," he said.

The President further highlighted the Labour Mobility Programme, saying it was opening pathways for Kenyan youth to access jobs, acquire skills and gain international work experience.

"Our message to the youth of Northern Kenya is simple: your future will not be defined by geography. It will be defined by your talent, your skills and your determination," he said.

Education and skills development featured prominently in the President's address, delivered under this year's Madaraka Day theme, “Education, Skills and the Future."

Ruto noted that more than 850,000 young Kenyans are currently enrolled in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across the country, acquiring practical skills needed in the labour market.

He also pointed to efforts to address teacher shortages in Northern Kenya through affirmative action programmes that have seen 1,800 local teachers recruited from Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties and deployed within the region.

According to the President, 4,616 youths from the three counties are currently enrolled in teacher training colleges, the highest number ever recorded in the region.

The Head of State said the government's investments in affordable housing and infrastructure projects were also creating employment opportunities for young people.

In Wajir alone, he said, the government has committed Sh15.6 billion towards the construction of 4,600 affordable housing units, while projects worth Sh38.5 billion are underway across Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties.

The projects include housing developments, student accommodation, markets, classrooms and police housing.

Beyond urban jobs, Ruto announced the deployment of an additional 2,000 agripreneurs to Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), bringing the national total to 7,000. The agripreneurs will provide agricultural advisory services, connect pastoralists to markets and financing, and support climate-smart agriculture.

The President said the interventions were part of a broader strategy to ensure Northern Kenya's youth play a central role in the country's economic transformation.

"For decades, some parts of our country were told they were too distant, too dry, too difficult, or too marginal to matter. Today, from Wajir, Kenya rejects that thinking," he said.

He added that the government's goal was to create jobs, expand opportunities and ensure that every young Kenyan, regardless of where they come from, has an equal chance to succeed.