Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the
Digital Economy William Kabogo has reiterated that the digital system used in
the recent Grade 10 school placement exercise was fair, transparent and free
from regional or ethnic bias, amid growing public debate over the outcome.
Kabogo said the placement process was anchored on automation
and data-driven equity, with technology deliberately employed to eliminate
human interference.
“Governance in the digital age is rooted in transparency and
data-driven equity,” Kabogo said, adding that the system was “secure” and
designed to ensure that every learner gets a fair shot at our top institutions.
He dismissed claims that some regions or communities were
disadvantaged, warning that such assertions risked undermining national unity.
According to Kabogo, the digital framework underpinning the
placement exercise does not factor in geography.
“Our digital systems don't recognise ‘regions’; they recognise merit and choice,” he said.
“Peddling narratives of exclusion only
serves to undermine our national unity.”
Kabogo spoke against the backdrop of criticism from some
parents and political leaders who questioned whether learners were fairly
distributed across national and extra-county schools.
However, he maintained that the automated system applies the
same criteria to all candidates, ensuring equal treatment based on performance
and school preferences.
The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed the government’s commitment
to leveraging technology to enhance fairness in public service delivery,
particularly within the education sector.
“We remain committed to an inclusive Kenya where opportunity
is accessible to all, not just a few,” he said.
The remarks followed allegations by former Deputy President
Rigathi Gachagua, now leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), who
claimed that learners from the Mt Kenya region were being unfairly
disadvantaged.
Gachagua alleged that some high-performing students from the
region had been placed in distant and lower-quality schools, while learners
from other areas were admitted to top institutions.
“Around here, our children have been placed in small
schools, yet their marks are high, while other people have been brought to our
schools,” Gachagua said.
President William Ruto later addressed the issue during the
Nyota Business Start-Up Capital Disbursement event in Uasin Gishu, urging
leaders to refrain from politicising education matters ahead of the 2027
General Election.
He described attempts to drag school placement into
political contests as harmful.
“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,” the
President said.
Education officials have maintained that the placement
process is based strictly on learners’ performance in the Kenya Junior School
Education Assessment (KJSEA) and their selected school choices, not on
ethnicity or region.
