Northeastern Kenya and the Billions That Never Arrive

Northeastern Kenya and the Billions That Never Arrive

Northeastern Kenya appears in budget speeches with impressive figures attached. Billions assigned. Special status affirmed. Promises renewed. On the ground, the signs tell a different story. Clinics without staff. Schools with thin attendance. Roads that fade into dust. Water projects announced, then paused, then quietly dropped. The distance between the figures on paper and daily life keeps widening.

The Equalization Fund was designed to close historic gaps, not decorate speeches. Money was meant to move fast and visibly into health, water, roads, and education. Years later, the lived reality across Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera still reflects neglect. When outcomes fail at this scale, the question stops being wheth ...