During International Minorities Day celebrations at State House, Nairobi, on December 18, 2025, President William Ruto ordered the enrollment of minority and marginalized communities into cash transfer programs and announced a policy and initiatives to promote their inclusion.
President William Ruto, speaking at the International Minorities Day celebrations at State House, Nairobi, on December 18, 2025, announced several measures to support Kenya's minority and marginalized communities. He directed the State Department for Social Protection to urgently register and enroll all eligible families from these communities into existing cash transfer programs to strengthen household resilience and dignity.
"The State Department for Social Protection shall urgently register and enroll all eligible families from minority and marginalized communities into existing cash transfer programs to strengthen household resilience and dignity," President Ruto said.
The initiatives target groups including the Ogiek, Sengwer, Yaaku, and other hunter-gatherers who have faced land loss and cultural erosion. Coastal communities like the Arabs and Pemba, as well as pastoralists such as the Somalis, Maasai, and Samburu in arid regions, will also benefit. Other communities include the Sanye, Waata, Dorobo, Elmolo, and Malakote; and linguistic minorities like the Suba and Terik.
The President also announced the establishment of a Ksh 500 million National Minority Scholarship Programme to support children from indigent families in marginalized communities for secondary and tertiary education. The government will pay Social Health Authority contributions for 200,000 vulnerable individuals from these communities. Additionally, Ksh 200 million will be set aside annually as an Education Infrastructure Fund to construct and upgrade schools in marginalized areas.
The Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Ethnic Minorities, Indigenous, and Marginalised Communities, which will be forwarded to Parliament for consideration and adoption. The policy will introduce mandatory requirements for fair representation of these communities in civil service recruitment and leadership positions, along with affirmative action in public service and procurements. It will ensure affirmative action in access to credit and targeted investments in their areas.
Among the provisions are nomadic mobile schools to ensure education access for pastoralists and mobile communities. The Ministry of Education will allocate Ksh 200 million annually to build, upgrade, and equip schools and colleges in minority areas. Furthermore, the Minorities and Marginalised Affairs Unit within the Executive Office of the President has been elevated to a semi-autonomous agency, with the creation of the National Council of Ethnic Minorities to strengthen oversight and coordination.
"Today, I’m pleased to announce that the Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Ethnic Minorities, Indigenous, and Marginalised Communities. I will launch this transformative blueprint, which provides a comprehensive roadmap for the full realisation of Article 56 of the Constitution," Ruto added.
The President directed Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries to integrate the policy into their 2026-2027 budget estimates.
These steps aim to address historical challenges such as poverty, limited access to services, political exclusion, land disputes, and forced evictions faced by these communities.
