By Abdullahi Jamaa | Wajir Today | Friday, May 29, 2026
The National Madaraka Celebrations Committee on Friday received the 10,000-seater new Wajir Stadium, marking a major milestone in preparations for the first-ever national celebrations to be hosted in Kenya’s North Eastern region.
Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, said the stadium was now 90% complete and had been formally handed over to the National Celebrations Committee ahead of the June 1 event.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the facility in Wajir town, Mvurya described the hosting of Madaraka Day in Wajir as a historic moment for the region, saying it symbolised inclusion, national cohesion and economic transformation.
“The hosting of Madaraka Day in Wajir marks a historic milestone for the people of Wajir and Northern Kenya,” Mvurya said.
He said the stadium would go beyond sports and serve as a catalyst for business, tourism and investment opportunities in the region.
The Cabinet Secretary added that after the national celebrations, contractors would resume the remaining works at the facility to align it with an expanded design aimed at supporting sports talent development, film, creative arts and ICT innovation hubs targeting youth empowerment in Northern Kenya.
Mvurya also invited Kenyans from across the country to attend the celebrations and witness what he described as the transformation taking place in Wajir and the wider North Eastern region.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said the handover ceremony marked an important step in the county’s preparations to host the national event.
The governor said the visit by Mvurya and Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru demonstrated the confidence the national government had placed in Wajir County and the people of North Eastern Kenya.
“I today received the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, and the Principal Secretary for Defence, Dr Patrick Mariru, who visited Wajir County for the official handover ceremony to the National Madaraka Day Steering Committee,” Ahmed said in a statement.
He said the county leadership remained committed to ensuring Wajir hosts a successful national celebration that reflects unity, inclusion and national progress.
The governor was accompanied by several leaders from the county and national government, including Deputy Governor Ahmed Muhumed, Wajir Senator Abass Sheikh, Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow, Wajir East MP Adan Daud, Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney, Wajir West MP Yussuf Muhumed Farah, Wajir South MP Mohamed Adow, Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir, County Assembly Speaker Yussuf Abdille and Majority Leader Abey Jimale.
