Mashujaa Day: Three counties turn celebrations into sports, technology and business showcase

This year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations will be more than a one-day national ceremony, with Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nandi and Uasin Gishu preparing a week-long programme combining sport, technology, culture and business.

Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Coordination Dennis Itumbi said the three counties will host activities designed to create opportunities for residents while showcasing the region’s potential.

Speaking in Eldoret after inspecting preparations,  Itumbi said football would be complemented by volleyball and a marathon.

The programme will also feature cultural performances, with singing groups from Samburu, North Eastern, Turkana and parts of Nyanza expected to participate.

Technology will form another major pillar of the celebrations. Elgeyo-Marakwet will host a cybersecurity software summit, while Kapsabet will be the venue for a digital economy conference.

According to  Itumbi, global technology giants Microsoft and Google have confirmed their participation and will chair the technology summits.

The economic programme will bring together banks, SMEs, the Central Bank of Kenya and capital markets players for a week-long conference on finance and the economy.

Itumbi said the Government would use the occasion to engage directly with residents on issues affecting the three counties.

“We are bringing the entire Government to engage with people from the three counties on various issues,” he said.

The programme is anchored on three themes — sports, security and the economy — in what organisers say is an effort to turn the national celebrations into a platform for development and public engagement.

The 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations will therefore combine the traditional commemoration of Kenya’s heroes with sporting, cultural, technology and economic activities across the three counties.

Preparations for the celebrations are ongoing, with officials inspecting venues and projects earmarked for the event.