As students prepare for national examinations and term three nears the end, President William Ruto has exposed the worrying number of students from Nairobi who are missing school.

Speaking on Sunday, October 13, 2024, after a church service in AIC Milimani, the Head of State disclosed that close to 10,000 children from Nairobi county are missing school.

Without revealing the source of his data, Ruto indicated that it was a worrying trend which needed immediate intervention from his administration.

Ruto’s urgent meeting

Ruto told the congregants that he has since convened an urgent meeting with Nairobi leadership to address the issue.

He however did not delve into specifics on why the 10,000 children were missing school in Nairobi.

“I will be meeting the leadership of Nairobi shortly because there are close to 10,000 children who are not going to school in Nairobi and that is very serious. So I will be meeting the members of the parliament,” Ruto announced.

As part of the government’s planned intervention, President Ruto made it clear that his administration had already made elaborate plans to build 5,000 classrooms across the city.

He insisted that the construction plan showed his commitment to ensuring no student missed school especially those from vulnerable families living in the informal sectors in Nairobi.

“We have already provided resources and we want to build an extra 5,000 classrooms in Nairobi to make sure that all our children especially those who live in informal settlements go to school because that’s what we must do as we serve humanity and as we serve God,” he reiterated.

Cleaning Nairobi

At the same time, Ruto made it clear that his administration had stepped up efforts in making Nairobi clean. Part of the plan included cleaning the Nairobi River which he maintained would be restored in the next two years.

The President argued that it is a shame that Nairobi hosts the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters yet it is not living up to standards.

He thus remarked that rehabilitating the Nairobi River stands out among the priority areas in his administration.