Gachagua honours those killed during anti-Finance Bill demos

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday steered off politics and the controversial Finance Bill 2024 that has led to nationwide chaos and deaths.

However, Gachagua asked the over 8,000 secondary school principals attending the 47th Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) annual delegates conference at Sheikh Zayed Hall, Mombasa, to stand for a minute to honour those who died in the protests.

“Maybe before I give you my address, I request all of you to be upstanding in a minute silence in honour of our children and security officers, who lost their lives in yesterday’s protest and pandemonium across the country,” Gachagua told the principals.

At least 25 people have been reported dead following the clash between the police and protestors in all major towns of Kenya.

Nairobi had the biggest number of fatalities at least 20, after the majority were shot dead in a clash with police officers.

In Mombasa, three people have also been reported dead.

President William Ruto had on Tuesday evening sent a strong warning to the alleged planners of the chaos, saying he ensure a situation of this nature does not recur again.

Gachagua arrived in Mombasa just a day after the nationwide anti-finance bill protest.

While addressing the principals, Gachagua completely chose not to dwell on the issue of the Finance Bill and focused on the day’s agenda- the Kessha conference.

He said under their administration will continue investing in education.

“The education sector receives the lion's share of the national allocation because we understand that quality education requires quantity investment,” he said.

He said they want education that generates job creators, not job seekers.

“We want an education that profiles and polishes the talent of the students in what they do best, not bombarding them with the material they least need in their career pathway to start on,” said Gachagua.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring minimal disruption of the education sector.

“We are streamlining systems for timely release of funds. Even as the government allocates more resources to education, taxpayers must gain from this investment.

"We call for management of resources for schools to have the requisite capacity to deliver,” he said.

He said the government will work towards ensuring teachers are well paid.

“We want to dignify you. We do not want to see you teacher on the streets, we will therefore try so that we never get there so that we dignify you,”

He added, “You are role models, and you have influence. You people don't know the kind of influence you have".

He challenged teachers to help bring down the cost of running their schools.

“Please come up with some income-generating projects where you can have your food, where you can have some dairy animals to have your milk," he said.

He added;

“I've gone to some schools that have some bakeries to bake bread for the children. I want to encourage you. You are not just principals, you are managers, you are leaders, and you have the skills to manage an institution.”