14/01/2026
NORTHERN KENYA: A TALE OF TWO REGION
Not long ago, our national leaders proudly spoke of development, devolution, and billions allocated to Northern Kenya. They told us progress was happening, that opportunities were expanding, and that the future was bright. And in some ways, they are right. On paper, Northern Kenya looks funded, prioritized, and politically important.
But the hard truth is this: not everyone is sharing in that promise.
From the comfort of Nairobi offices, boardrooms, and political rallies, Northern Kenya may appear like a region on the rise. Budgets are announced. Projects are launched. Reports are written. Everything seems fine. But that is only one side of the story.
There is another Northern Kenya—the one far from air-conditioned offices and campaign stages. It is the part where families cannot afford food during drought seasons; where electricity rationing becomes a political slogan instead of a public service; where young people finish school only to meet unemployment, idleness, and despair.
In this Northern Kenya, billions flow every year, yet poverty remains stubborn. Jobs are scarce. Water is unreliable. Health facilities are under-equipped. Schools struggle. Parents watch the dreams they hold for their children slowly fade, not because of lack of effort, but because opportunity never reaches them.
There are elders enduring extreme heat without power or water. There are youths roaming towns with degrees but no jobs. There are communities surviving on relief food while development funds are discussed elsewhere. There are families who have never seen the projects meant for them—projects funded in their name but built where they do not live.
This is not just a story of drought or geography. It is a story of choices.
Because while the people endure hardship, misappropriation of CDF and Equalization Funds continues. Resources meant to uplift the poorest are diverted. Leaders speak passionately during crises, yet many do not live among the people they represent. Their families are shielded from the suffering; the people are not.
So let us be honest: Northern Kenya today is more a Tale of Two Regions than a development success story.
One Northern Kenya exists in speeches, budgets, and political promises.
The other exists in hunger, unemployment, and forgotten villages.
If leaders truly want to understand this reality, they should spend time where the people live—not during campaigns, but during droughts; not for photo ops, but for accountability. Let them visit homes without electricity, towns without jobs, and communities where hope is slowly wearing thin.
Because development is not measured by how much money is allocated, but by how many lives are changed.
And until honesty, accountability, and people-centered leadership replace showmanship and excuses, Northern Kenya will continue to receive billions—yet remain poor.