DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa has taken a swipe at President William Ruto’s administration over what he termed as contradictory statements regarding the government’s commitment to free and compulsory basic education

In a statement shared on social media on Sunday, July 27, 2025, Wamalwa expressed concern that top government officials, including the President, Treasury Cabinet Secretary, and Education Cabinet Secretary, were giving conflicting messages on a matter he described as a fundamental right under Kenya’s Constitution.

He accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of lacking coherence on key policy matters, warning that such confusion threatens to erode public trust and jeopardise the future of millions of school-going children.

“President @WilliamsRuto says one thing, his CS National Treasury says another thing and his CS Education says another on free and compulsory basic education l,one of the most critical social economic rights guaranteed to every Kenyan child under Article 43 of our Constitution,” he said.

“This broad-based government really has its priorities bottom-up or upside down or topsy-turvy.”

His remarks follow a recent uproar sparked by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi’s comments suggesting the government may not sustain the free education programme due to budget constraints. A statement Mbadi later clarified, saying he was calling on Parliament to enhance capitation funding.

Ruto on free education

This comes after President William Ruto reassured Kenyans that free primary and secondary school education remains a constitutional right for all children in the country, following public uproar over proposals to scale back funding for the programme.

Speaking during a church service in Kariobangi on Sunday, July 27, 2025, the president emphasised that the government remains fully committed to ensuring universal access to education.

“Elimu ya watoto wetu ni ya muhimu sana; nataka nihakikishie Wakenya ya kwamba free primary education for primary and secondary ni haki ya kikatiba ya wananchi wa taifa la Kenya,” Ruto said.

Ruto stressed that education is the greatest form of empowerment any society can provide to its young people. He added that education must not only be affordable and accessible but also of good quality and relevant to the current needs of the country.

Education PS

While the Basic Education Principal Secretary, Julius Bitok, had earlier allayed fears that the government is planning to scrap the free primary and secondary education programme due to budgetary constraints.

Speaking at St. Thomas Girls Secondary School in Kilifi County on Friday, July 25, 2025, he said that the statements by Cabinet Secretary for Treasury John Mbadi while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education had been taken out of context

“I want to assure the country that the policy on free primary and secondary education has not changed. The government will continue financing education through capitation as it has been over the years,” Bitok said.