Sunday, July 27, 2025 - President William Ruto has reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to free basic education, just hours after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused him of diverting education capitation funds.
Speaking on Sunday at St. Martin’s ACK Church in Kariobangi,
Ruto emphasized that free primary and secondary education remains a
constitutional right and a top priority.
"We have made sure that in the last two years, we’ve
undertaken various initiatives to make education universal and accessible,” he
said.
Ruto cited the construction of 23,000 classrooms,
particularly in urban areas like Nairobi, where MPs received KSh 1 billion to
reduce congestion in schools.
He also pointed to the increase in funding under the new
university financing model, enabling more students to access higher education.
The President further noted that his administration has
hired 76,000 teachers over two years and plans to employ 24,000 more by
January.
Additionally, he highlighted the recently signed Collective
Bargaining Agreement with KUPPET, which will raise teachers’ salaries by 6 to
29 percent.
"Education cannot be compromised - we cannot compromise
access, quality, affordability, or relevance," Ruto declared.
His remarks came hours after Gachagua alleged that funds
intended for education are being siphoned through the National Intelligence
Service (NIS) and delivered to State House in cash every Friday.
The controversy follows Treasury CS John Mbadi’s
announcement that capitation to schools would be reduced due to limited fiscal
space.
The grant for secondary students has dropped from KSh 22,244
to KSh 16,900 per child, sparking concerns about sustainability.
“Although we aim to support every learner, updating these
rates might be untenable unless revenue improves,” Mbadi said.
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