President William Ruto has highlighted the strides the Kenya
Kwanza administration has undertaken since it came to power to address
challenges facing the education sector.
In his State of the Nation address before the bicameral
Parliament Thursday afternoon, the President said the sector was in a crisis
with no clarity on the transition from 8-4-4 system to the Competency-Based
Curriculum.
He said schools were grappling with a shortage of 110,000
teachers and 23 out of 40 public universities were steeped in debt, technically
bankrupt and at risk of closure.
"Among those facing challenges were huge institutions,
such as my own alma mater, the University of Nairobi,” Ruto said.
His government, the President said, has since turned around
the sorry state of affairs and given the education sector a new lease of life,
including introducing a new student-based higher education funding model and
hired more teachers.
"We have hired 56,000 teachers and are in the process of
recruiting another 20,000 byJanuary next year,” he said.
The President further said the government has ensured the
seamless transition of leaners from Primary to Junior school with the pioneer
class set to join Grade 9 in January.
He said by domiciling the Grade 6 to 9 learners in primary schools has ensured optimal utilization of existing infrastructure, safety of learners and saved parents costs in boarding school expenses in far-flung schools.
Ruto said the new university funding model has, on its part,
ensured the most vulnerable students have access to higher education with up to
95 per cent sponsorship from the government.
This move, he said, has also pulled most universities from the
brink of collapse by ensuring sufficient resource availability.
“The remaining challenges for a few universities like Moi
University are related to internal administrative and governance issues which I
have given firm instructions that they should be addressed,” Ruto said.
Moi University is currently under investigations regarding
alleged embezzlement of funds by senior officials.
On Wednesday, EACC detectives grilled VC
Professor Isaac Kosgey for more than 10 hours at the EACC offices in Eldoret.
EACC commenced investigations in June 2024 upon receipt of a
report that senior officials at university had, in collusion with private
consultants, hatched a scheme for illicit enrichment through irregular
multi-million tender awards for major development projects.
The President said to further enhance access to higher education,
the government launched the Open University of Kenya paving the way for more
students to achieve their academic goals.
“The institution’s first cohort of students is scheduled to
graduate next week on the November 29, 2024.
This was Ruto’s third State of the Nation address.
His first was on September 29, 2022, when he inaugurated the
13th Parliament soon after being sworn in on September 13 that year.
His second address came on November 9, 2023.
Ruto pointed out that the Kenya Kwanza government took over
at a very difficult time when the country was grappling with high cost of
living occasioned partly by prolonged drought, mounting debt and the Russia-Ukraine
war.
"We all had to tighten our belts and work under very stressful conditions," he said.
