National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula has urged residents of Mandera County to support President William Ruto's re-election in 2027, saying the Kenya Kwanza administration has ended decades of discrimination against Northern Kenya while rolling out major infrastructure and education projects in the region.
Speaking on Tuesday during the Lafey Constituency Empowerment Programme in Mandera County, Wetang'ula said President Ruto had addressed longstanding inequalities, particularly in the issuance of national identity cards to residents of Northern Kenya.
The Speaker said previous administrations subjected residents of the region to rigorous vetting procedures that denied many young people access to identity cards, limiting opportunities for education, employment and government services.
"Since independence, residents of Northern Kenya have faced discrimination in the issuance of identity cards. It appeared as though there were two sets of rules—one for the rest of Kenya and another for Northern Kenya," Wetang'ula said.
"The process of obtaining an ID here was almost like seeking a pass to heaven. People were asked countless questions only to be denied such an important document."
He praised the government for abolishing what he termed discriminatory practices, saying every Kenyan should receive equal treatment regardless of region, religion or ethnicity.
"President William Ruto has made it clear that Kenya must be a country where every citizen is treated equally when seeking government services. The same law that applies in Nairobi, Western Kenya and the Coast must equally apply in Northern Kenya," he said.
Wetang'ula added that leaders would no longer tolerate discrimination based on place of birth or ethnic background.
"As leaders, we shall not accept any discrimination against any Kenyan because of religion, ethnicity or region. We are one people and one nation," he said.
The Ford Kenya party leader also defended the government's development record, arguing that historically marginalised regions were now receiving significant investment.
He pointed to the ongoing Isiolo-Wajir-Mandera highway, estimated to cost about Sh100 billion, as one of the country's largest infrastructure projects.
"As we speak, the President launched one of the largest infrastructure projects in Kenya, the road from Isiolo through Wajir to Mandera. It is wrong for anyone to claim that investing in this region is a waste of public resources," he said.
Wetang'ula said Northern Kenya's livestock, trade and mineral resources justified increased public investment.
"You cannot say public resources are being wasted by developing fellow Kenyans. This region has immense wealth in livestock and minerals just as other parts of the country have tea, coffee and maize," he said.
On education, the Speaker said the government's recruitment of more than 124,000 teachers had strengthened schools nationwide. He added that investments in teacher training colleges in Northern Kenya would help produce local educators who are more likely to serve in their communities.
"We want young men and women from this region to qualify as teachers and serve their own communities instead of relying on teachers transferred from other regions who later seek to leave," he said.
He also called for greater representation of professionals from the region in medicine, engineering and law.
Wetang'ula further lauded the Somali community's entrepreneurial culture, saying Somali-owned businesses across the country had created employment opportunities and contributed to national integration.
"In my hometown of Bungoma, we have a respected businesswoman known as Mama Hersi, who has supported many people over the years. Across Kenya, wherever you go, you will find Somali entrepreneurs doing business and employing local people," he said.
He urged Mandera residents to support President Ruto's re-election, saying the Head of State had promoted national unity while ensuring development reached all parts of the country.
"He has united Kenyans and refused attempts to divide the country along ethnic lines. That is the kind of leadership Kenya needs going forward," Wetang'ula said.