Uasin Gishu County is set to host the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations, Governor Jonathan Bii has announced.
In a statement on Friday, July 10, he welcomed the decision, describing it as a recognition of Uasin Gishu's capacity to host a major national function.
Bii said hosting the celebrations was both an honour and an opportunity for the county to join the rest of the country in recognising Kenya's heroes.
"Uasin Gishu is honoured to host this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, a national occasion that brings Kenyans together to celebrate our heroes and heroines," he wrote.
Bii noted that the decision to award the county the event demonstrated the trust the national government had placed in Uasin Gishu's ability to successfully organise an occasion of national importance.
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"This opportunity reflects the confidence placed in our county and our ability to deliver national events of great significance. We are ready to showcase our hospitality, unity and the transformative progress of the County of Champions," he added.
Bii also expressed gratitude to President William Ruto for selecting Uasin Gishu as the host county and said local leaders were looking forward to receiving visitors from all parts of Kenya.
"We appreciate H.E. President William Samoei Ruto for the honour and look forward to welcoming Kenyans from across the country," he concluded.
This comes over a month after President William Ruto apologised to residents of Northern Kenya for decades of marginalisation.
Speaking on Monday, June 1, during the Madaraka Day celebrations held at Wajir Stadium, he said previous attitudes that viewed the region as difficult to develop had contributed to years of exclusion.
Ruto said the region had for years been unfairly overlooked because of perceptions surrounding its geography and security challenges.
"For too long, some said this region was too difficult, too dry, too remote, and too insecure to deserve any investment," he said.
Ruto dismissed those beliefs as misguided and insisted that his government was actively working to change the situation.
"That was wrong then, it is wrong now and it will forever remain wrong. But we are dismantling that legacy of exclusion, one road, one health facility, one school, one water project, and one opportunity at a time," he added.
Ruto then issued a direct apology to residents, saying the country had failed communities in Northern Kenya for many years.
"Fellow citizens, today, as I stand here as President and leader of our great nation, I wish to address the people of northern Kenya. On behalf of the people and the Republic of Kenya, I offer my sincere apology for the marginalisation that you have endured over the years. It was never meant to be this way," he further said.
