President William Ruto has 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. He noted that in the last two years, significant efforts have been made to make education accessible and affordable for all learners.

“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.

The president highlighted the government’s continued investment in the construction and expansion of schools as part of its broader strategy to strengthen the education system and guarantee equal opportunities for all Kenyan children.

”In the last 2 years we have done a lot to make sure that education is truly universal and truly accessible because the commitment we have is that education is the greatest empowerment that any society can give to its young people, and that is why education must be affordable, must be accessible, must be of good quality, and must be relevant, and that is why we have invested in building schools,” he added.

Proposed scrapping

This comes after, in July 2025, Mbadi told the National Assembly Education Committee that the government lacks the capacity to fully fund free education, citing a strained budget due to competing priorities such as debt repayment.

He noted that secondary school capitation had been reduced from Ksh22,244 to Ksh16,900 per learner, leaving a funding gap of Ksh5,344 per student.

Mbadi also suggested that the government might reintroduce exam registration fees, arguing that wealthier parents should contribute, as sustaining a “welfare state” is untenable. His remarks were made during appearances before Parliament.

Bitok’s response

In response to the backlash, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok moved quickly to clarify the government’s position, reassuring the public that free primary and secondary education remains intact.

Speaking at St Thomas Girls Secondary School in Kilifi County on July 25, 2025, Bitok stated that Mbadi’s comments had been taken out of context and affirmed that the government has no plans to scrap the policy.

He emphasised ongoing efforts to lobby Parliament for increased budget allocations to address the funding deficit for capitation and national examinations, noting that the 2025/2026 education budget of Ksh702 billion falls short of the required amount.