Nairobi, Kenya – President William Ruto has announced an unprecedented multi-billion shilling development blueprint aimed at ending Turkana County’s longtime marginalisation. Speaking at State House Nairobi after meeting grassroots leaders from Turkana on September 2, Ruto outlined a raft of infrastructure, education, health, and economic projects worth over Ksh 10.7 billion intended to accelerate the region’s growth. At the heart of the plan is the complete tarmacking of the Maili Tisa–Kitale–Kainuk–Lokichar road, a vital highway that Ruto called a “lifeline” to open up Turkana to national markets and opportunities.

The ambitious package also targets critical sectors to uplift livelihoods in Kenya’s northwestern frontier. To boost energy access, the government will invest Ksh 2.3 billion in rural electrification across Turkana’s vast expanse, connecting homes, schools and businesses to the grid for the first time. In sports and youth development, Ruto noted that a modern stadium is already under construction in Lodwar at a cost of Ksh 900 million, aiming to nurture local talent and provide a venue for major events. On food security, he revealed a Ksh 2.5 billion expansion of the Turkwel Irrigation Scheme, which will bring over 100,000 additional acres under cultivation and help communities shift from reliance on relief to commercial farming.

Other highlights include two new fish markets valued at Ksh 700 million to bolster the county’s budding fisheries sector along Lake Turkana, and an upgrade of Lodwar County Referral Hospital with better equipment and facilities. Ruto urged Turkana leaders to mobilise residents to enroll in the government’s new health insurance scheme, saying affordable healthcare must go hand-in-hand with development. “For far too long, Turkana’s progress has been held back, leaving it behind other regions,” Ruto said, emphasizing that the initiatives mark a turning point. The President pledged sustained attention to Turkana, framing the projects as the first step in unlocking the county’s vast potential and ensuring its people share fully in Kenya’s prosperity.