Ruto reaffirms commitment to free, quality education for all Kenyans

President William Ruto on Sunday reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring free, accessible, and quality education for all Kenyan children, describing education as “the greatest gift a society can give to its young people.”

Speaking during a church service at ACK St Martin’s Light Industries Church in Kariobangi, Nairobi, the President highlighted ongoing investments aimed at expanding education access and improving learning conditions across the country.

“Free primary education is the right of every Kenyan,” Ruto said. “Over the last two years, we have taken several measures to ensure education is truly universal and accessible.”

He noted that his administration has invested in the construction of new classrooms to reduce overcrowding, particularly in urban areas such as Nairobi.

“To ensure no one is left behind, we have also increased funding to universities and employed more than 70,000 teachers in the last two years. We plan to hire an additional 24,000 teachers by the beginning of next year,” the President added.

In a bid to maintain stability in the education sector, Ruto cited the recent signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with teachers that will run until 2029, a move aimed at averting persistent strikes in the sector.

“I assure you that the access and quality of education cannot be compromised,” he stated, assuring of his government’s commitment to make education not only affordable and inclusive, but also of good quality and relevant to Kenya’s development needs.

Ruto’s comments came a day after his deputy, Kithure Kindiki, assured that the government has no plans to cut funding for free primary and secondary education, promising enhanced financing for the critical sector.

Kindiki on Saturday said the Kenya Kwanza Administration will not roll back gains made in the sector, noting the increased funding allocated to the sector and recruitment of a record number of teachers since Ruto came to power in 2022.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has, however, said that the government can no longer fully fund free primary and secondary education, insisting that Kenya’s budgetary limitations make it impossible to achieve full capitation for every learner.

He told a Parliamentary committee on Thursday that the financial burden of free education is too heavy for the State to sustain, intimating that parents will soon be forced to dig deeper into their pockets.

In a follow-up address to clarify his position, which sparked outrage, Mbadi on Friday maintained that while education remains a key government priority, the current financial muscle cannot meet the full cost per student — a reality he accuses some leaders of conveniently ignoring.