Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has defended his comments on the placement of Grade 10 learners in senior schools, arguing that the current process is discriminatory and unfair to both high-performing students and their parents.
Gachagua blamed the crisis on the centralisation of senior school placement at Jogoo House, saying the system had replaced a more transparent model in which school principals played a key role in admitting learners to secondary schools.
He cited cases where students had reportedly been placed in day schools located up to 300 kilometres from their homes, questioning how such learners were expected to manage their daily lives.
Speaking at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri on Friday afternoon, Gachagua said the senior school placement exercise had exposed deep inequalities in the education sector, despite heavy investments through devolution and the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
He warned that these gains were being undermined by inequitable placement practices.
“Without doubt, the education sector has grown steadily even as our population and development priorities expand as a nation.
However, some unfortunate truths must now be confronted for introspection, prosperity and a national audit,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President noted that since raising the issue last week, he had received overwhelming feedback from parents across the country, many of whom questioned the criteria being used to place learners in senior schools.
He dismissed criticism that his remarks were tribal in nature, saying he was advocating for equity and a merit-based placement system.
“We are demanding that all children of Kenya be admitted to the best schools on merit. I am not saying that unqualified learners or those who have not met the minimum points should be admitted. I am saying that every child should be given a fair opportunity based on merit,” he said.
Gachagua also cited cases where learners from areas hosting Cluster 1 (National) schools were denied admission despite meeting the required cut-off marks.
Responding to leaders from Northern Kenya who accused him of advancing regional political interests and promoting tribalism in learning institutions, Gachagua defended his stance, saying he was speaking out as a responsible national leader concerned about fairness in the education system.
