Ruto promises learning for all as Treasury signals financial crisis

President William Ruto when he met church leaders from the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya at State House Nairobi on July 16, 2025. [PCS].

President William Ruto has ruled out any compromise on education access and quality, even as Treasury admits the government is struggling to fund learners under a ballooning public debt.

Speaking on Sunday at ACK St. Martins Light Industries Church in Kariobangi, Nairobi, Ruto said education remains Kenya's most critical national asset and must not be undermined.

"Education cannot be compromised. We cannot compromise access, we cannot compromise quality, we cannot compromise affordability, and we cannot compromise relevancy. Education is the most important human resource we have as a country," said Ruto.

The president's remarks follow Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi's appearance before Parliament's Education Committee on Friday, where he acknowledged that the government is unable to meet per-child education funding targets due to fiscal pressure.

"The government is under-providing per child because of fiscal constraints. The current policy is Sh 1,420 for primary, Sh 15,042 for junior school, and Sh 22,244 for secondary. But our current budget doesn't support it," said Mbadi.

The contradiction between Ruto's public assurance and Mbadi's admission now raises concerns about the government's ability to meet constitutional obligations in the education sector.

Despite the funding gaps, Ruto pointed to teacher recruitment and the signing of a new pay deal with educators as proof of continued investment.

"We have employed over 76,000 teachers in the last two years and we intend to recruit 24,000 more in January to ensure we bridge the teacher shortage that has existed in our schools," said Ruto.

"We've signed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with teachers' unions. Their salaries will increase by 6 to 29 per cent so they can concentrate in class," he added.

The president also noted that faith-based institutions remain central in supplementing public education.

"We thank the church for supplementing the government effort. We will continue with the partnership between religious organisations and the state to ensure education is available, well-managed, and of good quality," said Ruto.