President William Ruto has criticised the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over comments on the placement of Grade 10 learners to top-performing national schools, accusing him of engaging in tribal politics within the education system.
Speaking on January 8, during the NYOTA capital disbursement event in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Ruto urged leaders to keep ethnic politics out of schools and affirmed that placement decisions should uphold fairness for all learners.
“We do not want any county, any region or community, or any person to be left behind; we must move together. Let us not accept tribal politics,” Ruto said, calling for unity and equal opportunity across communities. He added that attempts to divide learners along ethnic lines undermine the integrity of education policy and distract from the sector’s core mission.
The President alleged that Gachagua was politicising the ongoing Grade 10 placement process, warning that such interventions risk eroding trust in the system.
“They have now gone to our schools to divide our children in schools. How desperate are you? Let our children be. Let our children learn. Those children are Kenyans regardless of the community they belong to,” he said, insisting that all students deserve equal treatment irrespective of their background.
Ruto’s remarks came two days after Gachagua urged school heads in the Mt Kenya region to prioritise placing Grade 10 learners from the area in high-performing institutions.
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Gachagua questioned why students from other regions were being placed in top schools within Mt Kenya, arguing that local learners with strong grades were being assigned to lower-ranked institutions.
Gachagua criticised the placement criteria as unfair and confusing, linking his concerns to broader challenges within the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). “Other people are being brought to our schools here, like Mang’u, Alliance and other top schools, while our children are being placed in lower-ranked schools despite having higher grades,” he said, calling for a review of the process.
Gachagua has come under fire with many criticising his stance on the ongoing Grade 10 placement process, warning that such rhetoric would further create tension around the whole placement process
By Masaki Enock
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