Delighted to join the family of Mike and Evelyn Cheluget, for the Koito and Chaik ceremony of their daughter, Faith Too Cheluget, and Allan Wanderi at Chemva Farm. It was a special occasion to celebrate love, honour our traditions and share in the joy of two families coming together. Seeing Faith and Allan take this meaningful step towards marriage made the celebration all the more memorable. Wishing Faith and Allan love, happiness and God’s guidance as they prepare for their wedding and build a life together. May their union be blessed with lasting friendship, mutual respect and joy.

Today, I joined H.E. President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, fellow leaders and Kenyans at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, for the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations. The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Abiy Ahmed, graced the occasion as the President’s Guest of Honour. Jointly hosted by Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet counties under the theme; Security | Sports | Economy, the celebrations reflected the spirit of togetherness that drives our nation forward. This celebration offered an opportunity to reflect on efforts to improve livelihoods through affordable housing, subsidised farm inputs and expanded access to education, healthcare alongside skills development and employment opportunities for young people. As we honour the courage, sacrifice and dedication of our heroes and heroines, may their example inspire us to uphold patriotism, integrity and dedicated service as we build a united, inclusive and prosperous Kenya. Happy Mashujaa Day!

Happy 63rd Mashujaa Day to all Kenyans! Today, we celebrate the heroes whose courage and sacrifice continue to inspire a united and prosperous Kenya.

Today, I joined H.E. President William Ruto and other leaders for a church service at Eliud Kipchoge Complex in Kapsabet, Nandi County, following the official opening of the ACK Plaza. The occasion also marked the Diocese’s celebration of 10 years of God’s faithfulness in mission and ministry; a decade of spiritual growth and dedicated service to the community. The President commended the Diocese and all who supported the construction of the ACK Plaza, which will accommodate businesses and diocesan offices. He underscored the role of faith and unity in advancing community development and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring that progress reaches every part of the country, expands opportunities and improves livelihoods. As the Diocese marks this milestone, its investment reflects the church’s contribution to both spiritual wellbeing and economic empowerment. Faith-based institutions remain valued partners in strengthening communities, promoting national unity and advancing Kenya’s social and economic transformation.

Expanding digital opportunities for young was the focus of today’s discussions at Eldoret Club with my colleague PS John Tanui, Eldo Hub CEO Magdaline Chepkemoi and Outsourcing Association of Kenya Chairman Sven De Cauter. Our engagement centred on how digital hubs, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) can create jobs, support entrepreneurship and strengthen Kenya’s competitiveness in global digital services. Industry-relevant skills, reliable digital infrastructure, investment and strong data protection are essential to realising this potential. The ongoing Mashujaa Thematic Week also offers citizens an opportunity to access registration services at Eldoret National Polytechnic. Members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of these services at the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services booth.

Today, we held discussions with Mr. George Wanga, the Managing Director of the Kenya Literature Bureau, on continuing our cooperation in advancing shared government priorities. This engagement underscored the importance of access to information, sustained dialogue, and coordination across government.

100,000 trees planted in one hour at Kimondi Forest; a powerful expression of our shared responsibility to protect the environment! Together with Governor Stephen Sang, Conservator of Forests John Momanyi, County Commissioner Wilberforce Kilonzo, Nandi Central Deputy County Commissioner Elizabeth Atemi, local leaders and residents, we marked the 2026 Mazingira Day in Nandi County by successfully completing the 100,000 Trees in One Hour Challenge between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Nandi County’s target of planting 16 million trees supports Kenya’s ambition of growing 15 billion trees. Sustaining this effort means nurturing the seedlings to maturity and protecting the forests we already have. As we pursue development, let us restore degraded landscapes and safeguard our natural resources for future generations. Mazingira ni Wajibu Wetu! #MazingiraDay2026 #JazaMiti #15BillionTrees

🌳 Join us tomorrow at Kimondi Forest for Mazingira Day as we plant 92,000 trees for a greener future!

Bringing services closer to citizens remains at the heart of our commitment to better service delivery. Accompanied by heads of directorates, I engaged with citizens and our service teams at Uhuru Park during Customer Service Week, and visited other booths to appreciate the services available to the public. Our directorates are on the ground offering registration services, addressing enquiries and providing guidance. Visit our booths throughout the week for assistance and share your feedback to help us serve you better.

We are continuously improving our systems and operations to ensure more efficient service delivery to Wananchi and our visitors. This morning, I met with the Directorate of Immigration Services to take stock of ongoing reforms and explore ways of fast-tracking them. We are well on course with the decentralisation of passport issuance, bringing this crucial document closer to where citizens live. We currently have regional passport offices in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kericho, Embu, Bungoma, Kisii, Nakuru, and Garissa, with Malindi and Nyeri coming up. To facilitate the Kazi Majuu programme, the National Employment Authority now has dedicated desks at our Immigration offices in Nairobi. Our other reforms include the ongoing installation of E-gates at JKIA to facilitate faster processing of travellers. I was joined by Immigration and Citizen Services PS Dr Belio Kipsang and other senior Government officials.

We are celebrating Customer Service Week by bringing services closer to you! All directorates of the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services are at Uhuru Park throughout this week, offering registration services. Visit our teams and access the services you need. Happy Customer Service Week!

The digitization of identity services is making it easier for Kenyans to obtain essential documents—from national IDs issued within seven days through the use of Live Capture machines to approved e-birth certificates that parents and guardians can apply for and download through the eCitizen platform following electronic birth notification. I highlighted these advances at the Digital Transformation Public Sector Forum and Awards 2026 in Mombasa, sharing how technology and coordinated service delivery are expanding access to legal identity. Together with my colleagues PS Eng. John Tanui and PS Stephen Isaboke, institutional leaders and partners, we explored how to extend these gains across government through interoperable systems, inclusive services and a whole-of-government approach.

Preparations for Mashujaa Day are taking shape in Eldoret, where we reviewed progress with my colleague, PS Dr. Raymond Omollo, and members of the technical and steering committees. We visited Kipchoge Stadium, the main event venue, to assess the ongoing works. We are committed to seeing the works completed in good time and the stadium ready for this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations. With Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties co-hosting this year’s celebrations, close coordination among the three counties is key to delivering a well-organized national event.

Celebrating ID Day 2026 in Bomet County as Kenya’s identity system goes digital, making registration faster, easier and closer to the people.

Kenya’s identity system is entering a new era—digital, faster and closer to the people. At the ID Day 2026 celebrations in Bomet County, I was joined by my colleague, the Principal Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Aurelia Rono, and Bomet Deputy Governor H.E. David Shadrack Rotich in marking this special day under the theme, “My Identity, My Shadow—Never Apart.” Their presence underscored our shared commitment to ensuring that every Kenyan has access to a secure and trusted legal identity. The deployment of 600 additional Live Capture Units has improved efficiency by enabling applicants’ biometric and biographic information to be transmitted digitally from the point of registration, supporting the issuance of national IDs within approximately seven days after successful verification. This transformation contributed to the production and issuance of 2,670,305 national IDs during the 2025/2026 Financial Year. Digitisation now covers the entire identity lifecycle. Thirty million civil-registration records have been migrated to the upgraded system, while electronic birth notification is being expanded beyond Nairobi, with Bomet beginning its rollout at Tenwek and Kapkoros hospitals. These milestones are building a secure, efficient and inclusive identity system that serves every Kenyan from birth and throughout life. I encourage all eligible Kenyans to register for their national IDs and take advantage of the services now available closer to them. No one should be left behind in accessing legal identity, essential services and opportunities. Also present to commemorate ID Day were Heads of Directorates, senior government officials and residents of Bomet County.

Preparing our universities for the transition to competency-based university education requires deliberate investment in faculty development, practical learning, innovation and learner-centred approaches. This was the focus of the inaugural Consultative Forum of Higher Education Stakeholders held at the University of Eldoret, where I had the honour of serving as Chief Guest. The forum brought together Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors and other stakeholders, alongside Hon. Julius Meli, MP for Tinderet, and Hon. Phylis Barto, MP for Moiben. With 2029 fast approaching, universities must rethink how they teach, assess and prepare learners to meet the changing needs of society and the labour market.

Today, I joined Hon. Josses Lelmengit, Member of Parliament for Emgwen Constituency, and the Kimnyoasis Senior School community for a special Mass to bless and dedicate the school’s newly acquired bus and pray for the 2026 candidates as they prepare for their national examinations. The occasion also provided an opportunity for students who have attained the age of 18, together with eligible members of the neighbouring community, to access national identity registration services. Mobile registration kits were deployed at the school to facilitate first-time applications and the replacement of lost or damaged identity cards, bringing these essential services closer to the people. I commend Hon. Lelmengit and the Emgwen NG-CDF for fully funding the acquisition of the bus, which will enhance the school’s academic and co-curricular activities. To the 2026 candidates, remain focused, disciplined and committed to your studies. May God grant you wisdom, strength and success in your national examinations.

I joined Her Excellency the First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, and women from Uasin Gishu and Nandi counties for an engagement focused on advancing women’s economic and social empowerment. It was inspiring to witness how women are harnessing collective effort and enterprise to build sustainable livelihoods through dairy and poultry farming, agriculture, tea production and small businesses. Their achievements demonstrate the transformative power of empowering women to take charge of their development, strengthen their families and uplift their communities. The engagement also provided an opportunity to highlight the ongoing national identity card registration exercise and encourage women to mobilise eligible young people and other unregistered citizens within their communities. Access to identification remains essential for economic participation, government services and national development. The First Lady’s continued commitment to creating practical opportunities for grassroots women is commendable and instrumental in enabling them to realise their potential and become drivers of lasting transformation. Also present were Principal Secretary Ms Mary Muthoni, Nandi Governor Mr Stephen Sang; Tinderet MP Mr Julius Meli, Emgwen MP Mr Josses Lelmengit; Nandi Woman Representative Ms Cynthia Muge, and other senior government officials.

Faith remains a powerful pillar of unity, hope and service in our communities. Supporting the Church strengthens its important role in nurturing spiritual growth and promoting community development. At Kipsamoo in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County, I joined the Deputy President, H.E. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, other leaders and the faithful for an interdenominational service. The congregation also came together to raise funds to support the development of worship facilities across 22 churches. Also present were Governors Jonathan Bii, Patrick Ole Ntutu and Stephen Sang; my colleague PS Julius Bitok; Senators Jackson Mandago and Vincent Chemitei; MPs Oscar Sudi, Reuben Kiborek, William Kamket and Joseph Wainaina; COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli; MCAs and church leaders.