The government has drawn a hard line, ordering every Grade 10 learner to report to their assigned senior schools in the coming week as it pushes relentlessly for 100 percent transition.
Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki said the State will tolerate zero excuses, making it clear that lack of school fees or uniforms will not be accepted as a reason for staying at home, in line with President William Ruto’s directive.
Speaking on Sunday during an Interdenominational Church Service at Maemba in Sigowet-Soin, Kericho County, Kindiki said the time for debate is over.
“This week, the President ordered all Grade 10 students to report to school—uniform or no uniform, fees or no fees. There will be no other discussion until this happens,” the DP said.
And the order is already biting.
Kindiki revealed that the number of students reporting to school has jumped dramatically since the directive was issued, with the transition rate climbing from 50 percent to 92 percent in just days.
“We are almost there. This week we will ensure every child is in school, then we can talk about other requirements,” he added.
The Deputy President insisted the government is backing its tough talk with action, saying massive investments have been made to ensure schools can absorb all learners.
He said the teacher shortage, which stood at 116,000 in 2022, has been slashed after the government hired 100,000 teachers in three years, with the remaining gap to be closed before next year. At the same time, 23,000 classrooms and 1,600 laboratories have been built nationwide.
“We will not allow our schools to struggle,” Kindiki said.
Zooming out, the DP said the aggressive education push is part of President Ruto’s broader plan to catapult Kenya into a first-world economy within one generation, driven by heavy investment in agriculture, infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation.
He said the government has already delivered measurable gains, particularly for young people and small traders, citing the NYOTA programme, which has seen 70 youth per ward receive Sh50,000 each to expand their businesses.
Kindiki said affordable housing, hostels and market construction projects have so far created over 530,000 jobs, with the government targeting more than one million jobs, most of them for the youth.
He dismissed critics threatening to scrap the projects, accusing them of lacking any serious development agenda.
Beyond jobs, Kindiki said key sectors of the economy are rebounding, pointing to health reforms that have enrolled over 29 million Kenyans, major gains in sugar production that have cut the deficit by more than 70 percent, and improved earnings for tea and coffee farmers.
“The country is moving, and we are not slowing down,” the DP said
