Kenyans mark the 63rd Mashujaa Day with pomp and colour in Eldoret

The 63rd Mashujaa Day was celebrated with pomp and colour on Tuesday, as thousands of Kenyans filled the newly renovated Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret City.

Marking the first time the national holiday was hosted in the North Rift region, the event was uniquely co-hosted by three counties: Uasin Gishu, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet

A spot check by The Standard revealed that the stadium, situated along the Iten-Eldoret road, opened its doors as early as 5 am, with some Kenyans sleeping there.

Security was beefed up in and around the stadium, with all those entering being frisked by hawk-eyed personnel drawn from various units.

Those without proper identification documentation, including journalists, were turned away.

The scorching sun did not stop thousands of Kenyans from turning up to witness the historic event.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) took command of the main entrance while other units maintained general security along the stadium.

President William Ruto, who presided over the fete, arrived with his motorcade a few minutes after 11am, as guests enjoyed entertainment courtesy of a group of traditional dancers and children from various schools nationwide.

He was joined by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other dignitaries.

Others included governors: Wisley Rotich (Elgeyo Marakwet), Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu), and Stephen Sang (Nandi).

Also in attendance were Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, and several MPs.

During the 10-day tour of his North Rift backyard, President Ruto assented to the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, 2026, paving the way for county governments to receive Sh71.09 billion in additional allocations for the 2026/2027 financial year.

The President signed the Bill into law at State Lodge, Eldoret, in Uasin Gishu County, on Monday.

The new law increases additional allocations to counties from Sh70.67 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year to Sh71.09 billion, an increase of Sh425.6 billion.

The funds comprise Sh12.73 billion from the National Government's share of revenue, Sh56.38 billion in loans and grants from development partners, and additional allocations from court fines and mineral royalties.

The law also provides for quarterly reports on actual transfers to county governments to strengthen accountability in the management of the funds.

The allocations will support programmes in healthcare staff and management, climate change resilience, agriculture value chain development, drought response, natural resource management, and water and sanitation.

The new law is intended to provide additional budgetary support to county governments  as they discharge their functions under the Constitution.

President Ruto also signed into law the County Assembly Services (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to strengthen the governance and administration of county assembly services.

The law provides clear, fair and time-bound procedures for the removal of County Assembly Service Board members and the suspension and removal of Clerks of county assemblies.

It also safeguards the rights and benefits of county assembly staff on secondment.

During yesterday's fete, the President struck a reconciliatory tone, urging the opposition to tone down the politics of hate, anger, and ethnicity.

The President appealed to his political opponents to embrace issue-based politics, saying Kenyans cannot afford to elect leaders who lack a vision and a plan for the country.

“You are becoming merchants of hate, merchants of ethnicity, merchants of anger. Our country cannot afford anger, ethnic politics or division,” President Ruto said.

“We went into the elections with a plan and an agenda because we wanted to change the politics of Kenya. We do not want the politics of our nation to be ever anchored on ethnicity or division," he added.

He maintained that his administration has been committed to delivering on the promises  made to Kenyans during the 2022 General Election.

He was also accompanied by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Cabinet Secretaries and Members of Parliament, among other leaders.

The President said his decision to work with late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga through the Broad-Based Government was informed by the need to end ethnic politics, exclusion, and division.

He maintained that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would continue working together to advance national unity and development.

The President defended Kenya’s democratic and constitutional order, saying that the freedom to choose leaders should enable citizens to distinguish between those offering a transformative plan and those resorting to insults and divisive politics.

President Ruto urged Kenyans to hold leaders accountable for their promises and not allow ethnicity to determine political choices.

The President said his administration had made progress in implementing its development agenda in all parts of the country.

“We told the country that we had a plan; we told Kenya that we had an agenda. We told Kenya that we had a mission. We told Kenya that we had a vision for the transformation of our nation,” he said.

He went on: “Today, as I stand in the city of Eldoret, I can confirm that the plan to transform Kenya is on course."

The President cited agricultural revival, economic stabilisation, universal healthcare, education reform, and affordable housing as priority programmes that are changing Kenya.

On the economy, the President said the country had moved from a difficult financial position to a more stable footing, with inflation under control and Kenya rising to the sixth largest economy in Africa.

Agricultural revival and Government interventions, he explained, were improving farmers’ earnings and putting more money in citizens' pockets.

“We can say without fear of contradiction that agriculture is putting money in the pockets of farmers and citizens of Kenya,” he said.

In healthcare, President Ruto said the Social Health Authority (SHA) had registered more than 33 million people, compared with eight million under the defunct National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).

He pointed out that SHA was making monthly payments to health facilities across the country, including Sh13 billion to Uasin Gishu County in September 2016.

The President further pointed out that the Government was working on a new education funding model that would give access to education based on students' academic ability rather than their financial circumstances.

“We are changing the higher education funding model so that the education of young people no longer depends on the ability of their parents to pay but on the intellectual capacity of every student to learn,” he affirmed.

On employment, President Ruto said the Government was pursuing job creation through affordable housing, modern markets and student hostels.

He explained that 300,000 housing units are at various stages of completion, creating more than 1.1 million jobs across the country.

In Nandi Hills, the President inspected the tuition block at Koitaleel Samoei University College, which is 90 per cent complete. It is equipped with laboratories, lecture theatres, and a library. Plans are also underway for Samoei Senior School.

He also laid the foundation stone for two student hostel blocks at the institution to provide decent accommodation and improve learning conditions.

President Ruto also launched the construction of the 22km Mugundoi-Nandi Hills and Kosiage-Cheptulu roads at a cost of Sh1.38 billion, part of a Sh25 billion investment to construct 350km of roads across Nandi County.

The President also flagged off the Sh157 million Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project in Nandi Hills Constituency, which will connect 1,450 homes to the electricity grid.

He later inspected the 729-unit Nandi Hills Affordable Housing Project.

President Ruto said the government is investing Sh18 billion in Nandi County to build 4,000 housing units, student hostels with a capacity of 7,000 beds, and 15 modern markets to create jobs and support businesses

In Mosop Constituency, he commissioned the Kaiboi Modern Market, constructed at a cost of Sh70 million and set to accommodate over 200 traders.

The facility is among 15 markets being built in the county, with the President saying the Government had allocated Sh1.5 billion for markets in Nandi.

He also laid the foundation stone for hostels at Kaiboi National Polytechnic, which are expected to accommodate 1,160 students.

In addition, the President launched the construction of the 52km Turbo-Kaiboi-Kimondi-Chepterit road and flagged off a KSh322 million Last Mile Electricity Connection targeting 3,126 households.

The projects, he said, formed part of the government’s wider development agenda aimed at improving infrastructure, expanding access to electricity, and creating economic opportunities for Kenyans.