President William Ruto has strongly criticized attempts to introduce tribal considerations into the placement of students in national schools, in what appears to be a direct response to recent remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Speaking on Thursday, January 8, during the disbursement of NYOTA business capital in Uasin Gishu County, Ruto warned against the dangers of ethnic politics, particularly when it involves children and education.
“Let’s not allow ourselves to be included in tribal politics,” the President said. “Oh, you are Kikuyu, oh, you’re Luo, oh, you’re Kalenjin. That’s bad politics.”
Ruto suggested that leaders who lack constructive agendas often resort to divisive rhetoric in order to remain relevant.
“If someone doesn’t have a plan, they sell hate. If they have no agenda, they sell tribalism,” he stated.
The President expressed particular concern over efforts to politicize school placements along ethnic lines, arguing that such moves unfairly target innocent children.
“They have even gone after our children in school. Do you want to divide children in school? How desperate can someone be? Let our children be,” Ruto said.
He emphasized that all students, regardless of their ethnic background, deserve equal treatment in the education system.
“Those children are Kenyans. Whatever community they come from, they are children of Kenya,” he added.
The President’s remarks follow a controversy sparked by Gachagua during an address at AIPCA Kiratina Church in Githunguri, Kiambu County, on Sunday, January 4.
During the church service, the former Deputy President questioned why students from outside the Mt. Kenya region were securing places in prestigious schools such as Alliance and Mang’u, while local students with strong academic performance were being placed in institutions with lower rankings.
Gachagua characterized the placement system as disorganized and unjust, tying the issue to broader challenges facing the ongoing transition of Grade 10 students under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
He went further to propose that students from Mt. Kenya should be given preference when it comes to admission to top schools in the region, a position that immediately drew sharp criticism from various leaders and education sector stakeholders.
In response to the controversy, alumni associations from both Mang’u High School and Alliance High School issued statements in defense of the country’s merit-based national admission policy.
The Mang’u High School Alumni Group and the Alliance High School Old Boys Club separately addressed the concerns, reaffirming their schools’ status as national institutions.
