Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has called for the protection of national schools, arguing that they play a critical role in promoting national unity and early interaction among learners from diverse backgrounds.

In a statement posted on his official X account on Friday, January 9, 2026, Kuria reflected on his own educational journey under the old 7-4-2-3 system, saying it offered limited exposure to Kenya’s ethnic diversity during his formative years.

He revealed that he only began interacting with students from other ethnic communities during his A-Level education, having attended day schools in Gatundu for both primary and secondary education.

“I went through the old 7-4-2-3 system of education. My 7 years in Primary School and my 4 Secondary School years were in Day Schools in Gatundu,” Kuria stated.

Exposure to diversity

Kuria disclosed that his first meaningful interaction with students from different ethnic communities only came later, during his A-Level studies and at university, an experience he described as eye-opening.

“I first met a Luhya, Somali, Luo, Kisii, Kalenjin and Giriama during my 2 years of A-Levels at Thika High School. I first saw a Turkana at the University of Nairobi,” he said.

The former MP for Gatundu South said those experiences informed his decision to invest in boarding facilities during his time in office, converting all public secondary schools in the constituency into boarding institutions.

He argued that schools with a national character offer a vital platform for nurturing cohesion and mutual understanding among young Kenyans.

“When I became MP for Gatundu South, I built dormitories and converted 100% of all 38 Public Secondary Schools into Boarding Schools so that no other child gets an opportunity to meet kids from other tribes at University as I did. These were County and Extra County Schools,” Kuria stated.

National schools debate

The remarks come days after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua questioned the national placement service policy that gives special consideration to learners from historically marginalised regions in accessing national and extra-county schools.

Speaking at AIPCA Kiratina Church in Githunguri, Kiambu County, on Sunday, January 4, 2026, Gachagua claimed that students from other regions secure places in national schools within Mt Kenya, while local learners are sent to lower-tier institutions.

“Other people are being brought to our schools here, like Alliance, Mang’u, and others, while our children are being placed in lowly-ranked schools despite having higher grades. There is total confusion in the education system. Parents do not know what to do,” Gachagua said.

He suggested that Mt Kenya students should receive priority in top regional schools, a stance that drew immediate criticism from President William Ruto, who warned against the ethnic framing of national school placement.

“How desperate can people be? Let our children be, let our children learn. Those children are Kenyans; wherever they come from, whatever community they belong to, they are our children, the children of Kenya,” Ruto stated on January 9, 2025.