Nairobi, January 8- President William Ruto has publicly rejected comments by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua regarding the ongoing Grade 10 national school placement process. He warned that ethnic politics should have no role in education.
Ruto emphasized that students should be placed in schools based on merit and fairness, regardless of their community or background. He stressed that schools must remain impartial and free from political influence.
Speaking during the launch of the NYOTA youth programme in Uasin Gishu County, Ruto urged leaders not to use children as tools for political mobilisation. He also encouraged young people not to let ethnic identity dictate their political choices, noting that divisive politics undermines development priorities such as jobs and economic opportunities.
Gachagua had questioned why students from outside the Mt Kenya region were admitted to elite schools like Alliance and Mang’u High, while high-achieving local students were allocated to lower-ranked institutions. His remarks have been criticized for undermining equity and national unity.
