Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto has announced that the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations will be held in Wajir County.
In a post on his X account, Ruto stated that the government had invested at least Sh900 million in the construction of a Modern Stadium in Wajir ahead of the 2026 Madaraka Day celebrations.
“To further advance balanced national development, we are building a 10,000-seater modern stadium in Wajir town for Sh900 million. The facility will host this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations, the first time a national holiday will be commemorated in the Northern Frontier,” Ruto said.
“Today I’m officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Wajir Stadium, which will serve as the venue for the national event.”
This marks the first time in Kenya’s history that a national celebration will be hosted in Northern Kenya.
The President reaffirmed that all Kenyans are equal and that every region of the country is entitled to equal recognition and development.
The President spoke in Wajir, where he concluded the national roll-out of NYOTA’s Business Start-Up Capital component with the disbursement of Sh63 million to 2,520 beneficiaries.
Madaraka Day, observed annually on June 1, commemorates Kenya’s attainment of internal self-rule from British colonialists in 1963.
The celebrations are traditionally marked by national addresses, cultural performances, and displays by security forces.
Kenya’s decision to take national public holiday celebrations outside Nairobi began in 2016 as an experiment to decentralise national festivities.
The shift was first announced in December 2015, when former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government declared that Madaraka Day (June 1) and Mashujaa Day (October 20) would be hosted in different counties each year, while Jamhuri Day (December 12) would remain in Nairobi as the symbolic national event.
The first out-of-Nairobi celebration took place on June 1, 2016, when Nakuru hosted Madaraka Day at Afraha Stadium.
Later, Machakos, Nyeri (2017), Meru (2018) and Narok (2019) hosted Madaraka Day.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, events were scaled down, with Madaraka Day held virtually from State House and Mashujaa Day marked in Kisii under strict health guidelines.
Kisumu (2021) hosted Madaraka Day at the newly built Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, symbolising development and unity in the Nyanza region.
The celebrations later moved to Embu (2023) and Bungoma (2024) for Madaraka Day, and Kericho (2023) for Mashujaa Day, before reaching Homa Bay and Kitui in 2025.
