Ruto vows to protect right to free education
Education
By
Irene Githinji
| Jul 28, 2025
President William Ruto has moved to quell public disquiet over the status of education funding, assuring Kenyans that every child will be given an opportunity to learn.
His remarks came days after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi sparked uproar with claims that the government could no longer fully fund free primary and secondary education.
But speaking during a Sunday service at ACK St Martins Light Industries Church in Kariobangi, Nairobi, President Ruto reaffirmed that Free Primary Education (FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) remain constitutional rights for all.
“We have, over the past two years, taken deliberate steps to make education truly universal and accessible. Education is the greatest empowerment any society can give to its young people,” he said.
READ MORE
Eight OPEC countries raise production by 547,000 bpd
Tata to expand soda ash mining in Lake Magadi
Firms urged to embrace global standards
Why State is rushing to sell huge stake in cash-rich Kenya Pipeline
National Oil, Rubis deal is a debt trap, House team warns
Insurers now warm up to health cover for the elderly
Why Kenya's affordable housing push must prioritise security, comfort
Food, energy price hikes yield higher inflation in July, says KNBS
Why insurance could be the game-changer for your small business in times of crisis
KenGen starts geothermal exploration in Tanzania's Mbeya region
Ruto emphasised that education must be affordable, accessible, high quality and relevant. He said the sector has received a huge allocation in the last two years to among other needs, build classrooms.
He said 23,000 classrooms have been constructed in the last two years, with each Nairobi constituency receiving Sh1 billion as the county had the biggest challenge of congestion. “We have employed more teachers, at least 70,000 in the last two years and by January, we will hire another 24,000 because we want to ensure no child will miss out for lack of teachers,” he stated.
The President also referenced the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed recently with teachers’ unions, set to run until 2029, as key to preventing strikes and ensuring stability in learning.
On university education, Ruto said the sector has also had an additional allocation so that higher education financing can be implemented to expand access to more learners.
“I just want to give assurance that education cannot be compromised, we cannot compromise access, quality, affordability and relevance, it must be what we are looking for,” he insisted. He added: “Our greatest asset is our human capital and that is why education is important.”
Ruto further urged religious organisations to continue partnering with the State to deliver relevant, well-managed, quality education.
Mbadi had told Parliament that, due to fiscal constraints, the government has been disbursing only Sh16,900 per student instead of the required Sh22,244, causing significant challenges in schools.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chair Willie Kuria recently said government arrears had reached Sh18 billion by Term Two. He noted that the current capitation of Sh22,244 per learner was last reviewed seven years ago thus misaligned with inflationary trends.
“The money that was being given to schools 17 years ago in 2008 (Sh10,625) when the programme started is more than what is available for use today after retention and the setting aside money for the infrastructure fund. Some Sh3,900 was committed to infrastructure account in 2023/2024 and which was appropriated from the operation vote head. Previously it was Sh5000,” Kuria explained.
He urged a return to the pre-2018 disbursement model, which provided 50 per cent of the annual allocation in Term One, 30 per cent in Term Two, and 20 per cent in Term Three.
He further called on the Ministry of Education to provide guidance on how schools should handle Form Four students exiting with fee arrears, given that the current policy bars withholding certificates.