Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has warned politicians against making remarks that were likely to polarize the country along ethnic lines.
He singled out a recent comment attributed to a senior leader insinuating that the placement of grade 10 candidates was allegedly skewed to favour other ethnic communities at the expense of others.
Ogamba accused the leaders of dragging “small politics” into the education sector, warning that the government will not allow national schools to be ethicized or learners’ futures to be compromised for political expediency.
Speaking to students after the release of KCSE 2025 results at AIC Chebisaas Boys Secondary School, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, the CS said it was misguided for leaders to suggest that national schools should only admit students from their host communities, stressing that such institutions are meant to serve learners from across the country.
“Chebisaas is a national school. We have students from the Coast, Western, Northeastern, Nyanza and Rift Valley,” he said. “For those politicians, I urge them most respectfully to go to the dictionary and read the meaning of the word ‘national.”
The CS said the government had been forced to respond after repeated political attacks on the education sector, which serves more than 12 million learners nationwide. He dismissed claims that school capitation had been reduced, noting that the government recently for the first time in 10 years released Sh44 billion to schools.
“This is the first time in over ten years that capitation has been disbursed before schools opening. Heads of Institutions are expected to ensure prudent use of these public resources for the benefit of learners, and to desist from imposing any extra levies or fees,” said CS Ogamba.
“We have provided resources, infrastructure and teachers,” he said, adding that the current administration has employed 100,000 teachers — nearly 30 per cent of all teachers hired since independence in 1963.
He warned that education stakeholders would resist any attempts to undermine the sector, saying officials were ready to mobilize millions within the education system to defend learners’ interests. “We will not sit down and allow nonsense to be brought into the education sector,” he cautioned adding: “The future of our children must not be played with on the basis of politics.”
The CS also issued a stern warning to school principals, directing them not to demand any money from parents seeking school placements. He said such actions were illegal and that a reporting mechanism had been put in place.
“If we find a principal demanding a bribe, we will deal with them administratively and they will never be principals in this country again,” said the Education CS.
On student placement, the CS reiterated that learners are free to attend schools of their choice regardless of region, citing his own educational journey across different parts of the country as an example. He said the government had opened an online portal to allow parents and students to request transfers to schools where they feel most comfortable. The CS assured students that the government remains committed to protecting their interests.
“If you study and work hard, the government will support you,” Ogamba told the students, urging them to focus on education and ignore political distractions.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
