Accommodation shortage hits Wajir ahead of Madaraka Day fete

The various security agencies scheduled to parade at this year’s event are already in the town rehearsing and getting used to the unforgiving hot temperatures. They are hosted in their respective security camps and installations within the town.

However, while government officials are working hard to ensure the event is a success, a more pressing problem is emerging – the town does not have enough accommodation to house all the expected guests.

The few hotels and guesthouses in the town, built for a modest flow of traders and civil servants, are already fully booked, days in advance. Lodges within the town are turning away callers seeking to book accommodation.

“We have been asked by some government officers not to give out our rooms in the last week of this month towards Madaraka Day. They want them reserved for their visitors,” said Caroline Kinoti, a caretaker at New Lodge.

All eight of the town's hotels are said to be fully booked. Even the most modest rooms in the town, which were once rented out for a few hundred shillings, are now reserved for distinguished guests.

Pricing for the rooms has also doubled with some lodges now charging Sh3,000 per a room from the usual Sh1,500.

“We have about eight four-star hotels in this town, which are unable to host all the expected visitors. We need to engage in meaningful investment as residents of Wajir so that whenever we have such an event, we can comfortably provide the services needed,” said Mr Ismael Hassan, a hotel owner in the town.

“We are fully booked until June 5, 2026. We are reaching out to locals with good homes to allow us to lease them for extra guests calling our hotel for booking.”

Read: We’re levelling up Wajir’s growth

The planning committee in collaboration with the Wajir County Government are responding to the looming crisis by leasing private homes to accommodate guests.

For Wajir, a town accustomed to open horizons and scattered homesteads, the main challenge is not land but roofs, beds, and reliable clean water. Ironically, the town is preparing to showcase its rich culture while also trying to accommodate guests.

North Eastern Region Commissioner John Otieno said, “This is a function that will bring onboard quite a multitude and Wajir faces a shortage of accommodation facilities. However, we have mapped the available facilities and noted that they are not adequate.”

He added, “We have been able to talk to those with good homes to offer them for accommodation and some have been vetted by our security committee and we are still appealing for others to avail their homes for this purpose.”

Once a home is offered, the security team carries out an assessment before fully taking control from the homeowner, according to a local source.

“We have homes offered for between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 depending on the size and available rooms. I was told to come back on June 5, 2026 after I gave out my home. I am staying with my relatives in town,” a home owner in Wajir said.

Mr Otieno said the homes being leased are secure to accommodate high-level dignitaries.

For a home to qualify, it must have a good fence, probably with a perimeter wall. It should also have functioning air conditioning and spacious rooms.

“I was told they wanted a home close to the town centre with availability of water, electricity and a clear road network,” said a homeowner, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Most homes in Wajir rely on water supplied by water bowsers that fill underground water tanks within the compounds.

“I was asked to ensure the water tank in my compound is filled before I hand over the keys. Where some fittings are missing, I was asked to provide them and do some repairs here and there,” our source said.

The regional commissioner said the poor road network between Garissa and Wajir has slowed down pace of development projects ahead of Madaraka Day.

“We had challenges with the poor state of the road when it rained because most trucks supplying materials got stuck, forcing a delay but we picked up and every project being undertaken shall be completed on time,” Mr Otieno said.

He said the military has taken over the road maintenance along the Wajir-Garissa Road.

“The Kenya Defence Forces continue helping to ensure that that section of the road where trucks got stuck is being graded so that those who will be using the same road are not affected,” he said.

The road to Wajir does not begin with tarmac. A few kilometres from Garissa town, where the tarmac ends, the road begins as a pale scar across the scrubland. It is hard-baked by the sun and rutted by the tyres of countless lorries.

The uneven surface stretches where the wind has swept the soil bare. This road is the only artery bringing people, goods and news from the rest of Kenya to Wajir.

Those planning to travel to Wajir by road should prepare for a rough and tiring 12-hour drive from Nairobi.

Speaking exclusively to Nation.Africa, Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi welcomed all those planning to attend the Madaraka Day fete.

“Don’t be worried about where you will sleep in Wajir. Everyone shall find a place to sleep and wake up to attend the event,” he said.

Governor Abdullahi urged residents of Wajir to accord their guests the highest respect and hospitality.

“Hosting Madaraka Day is a big thing to us because it will be the first time this is happening in the North Eastern region and it puts a lot of focus on us so we have to be on our best behaviour,” he said.

During a tour of the region by President Ruto in February 2026, a local youth sparked a brief security scare when he sprinted toward the President at the podium from where he was addressing a crowd for the NYOTA Capital Disbursement forum. Presidential security officers immediately tackled the man. 

“This function will open up Wajir and this region as a whole to the world and people will understand that this part of the country exists. People will know that there are better things here than the misery that is always reported about us,” said Mr Abdullahi.

According to the Wajir County boss, hosting the Madaraka Day has come with many development projects that his administration would not have achieved on its own.

“We had other important issues to focus on as a county government than building a stadium and other infrastructure in the town. We focused on the health sector and water supply; things that were a priority to us before we could get to another phase,” he said.

“We were planning to build a stadium but ours was much smaller compared to what the national government has constructed at a cost of about Sh1 billion. It is never that easy to get such an amount from a county development budget.”

The governor said that the county government’s priority remains local infrastructure, health facilities and water, with much emphasis on rural healthcare.

“We started far behind an average county. We had to focus on what was important to us. We had a lot of competing priorities and we focused on rural health. We have done 401 boreholes and over 184 health facilities across the county rather than doing a stadium,” he said.

Governor Abdullahi revealed that together with other leaders from Wajir, they lobbied to host this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations.

“When the President was here in December 2024, we made the request to host one national holiday here and he responded positively. He informed me that our request was granted and this was an honour to us,” he said.

In a media briefing, Commissioner Otieno said security measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of everyone during the Madaraka Day celebrations.

“We can assure those planning to come to Wajir not fear,” he said.

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