President William Ruto speaks when he hosted grassroots leaders from Marsabit county at State House, Nairobi, June 12, 2026. /PCSPresident William Ruto has dismissed claims by some stakeholders that Kenya's education sector is facing a crisis, insisting that increased funding, massive teacher recruitment and ongoing reforms have placed the sector on a firm footing.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, when he hosted grassroots leaders from Marsabit county, Ruto said education remains the largest beneficiary of government spending and continues to receive sustained investment aimed at improving access and quality.
The President pointed to the government's teacher recruitment drive as evidence that the sector is moving in the right direction.
“There’s no government that has hired 100,000 teachers in three years since independence. In other words, of the 400,000 teachers we have in the country, we employed a quarter of them in the last three years,” he said.
Ruto was speaking shortly after returning from a tour of Europe and South America focused on trade and job creation.
His remarks came a day after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi proposed a Sh784.5 billion allocation to the education sector in the 2026–27 budget, an increase of more than Sh81 billion from the Sh702 billion allocated in the previous financial year.
The allocation makes education the single largest recipient of public funding and represents about 26.5 per cent of total government expenditure.
Ruto said the government's commitment to education has been deliberate and consistent because of the critical role the sector plays in promoting equality and social mobility.
According to the President, reforms undertaken in recent years have focused on ensuring that no child is disadvantaged in accessing education opportunities.
He cited the review of the higher education funding model and the construction of thousands of new classrooms to support the transition and implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE).
“This consistency is because we understand that education is the great equaliser and no child should be discriminated against in accessing it,” he said.
The President said the government has constructed 23,000 classrooms across the country to accommodate learners under the new education system.
“Sometimes you hear some people saying there is a crisis in education. You wonder, how is there a crisis in education today when we have hired 100,000 teachers, when we have increased funding and built 23,000 classrooms?” he posed.
Ruto added that the former Competency-Based Curriculum has now evolved into Competency-Based Education, with reforms aimed at strengthening learning outcomes and aligning education with labour market needs.
He also cited enhanced funding for the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and universities as part of efforts to support students transitioning to tertiary institutions.
The President's comments come amid ongoing debate over education funding, teacher shortages, university financing and the implementation of reforms across the sector.
During the meeting, Ruto also outlined measures the government is taking to unlock Marsabit county's economic potential through investments in roads, water, power and trade infrastructure.
He said the government is constructing the Marsabit–Segel road at a cost of Sh1.4 billion and the Segel–Maikona road at Sh1.8 billion, while security roads are being opened up at a cost of Sh100 million.
“We have also set aside Sh2 billion for other roads in the county, including Loglogo-Korr-Kargi, North Horr-Dukana and Sololo-Anona-Golole-Uran sections. Additionally, we are working with the Marsabit County Government to establish a dry port in Moyale to boost trade between Kenya and Ethiopia,” Ruto said.
