NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has directed all senior secondary schools to immediately admit Grade 10 students, regardless of whether they have paid school fees or acquired the required uniforms, in a move aimed at ensuring a smooth start to the academic year.
The Head of State said no learner should be locked out of school due to financial constraints, ordering swift action to guarantee full enrollment across the country.
Speaking on Thursday, January 22, during the Nyota Capital Disbursement event in Meru County, Ruto instructed chiefs, assistant chiefs and school administrators to ensure that all eligible learners report to school without delay.
Under the directive, students who are unable to afford new senior school uniforms should be allowed to attend classes in their junior secondary uniforms as parents make arrangements to meet the requirements.
“I am informed that many students have not reported to schools due to lack of school fees and uniforms. I hereby direct parents and every chief to ensure that each child reports to school regardless of these requirements,” Ruto said.
He emphasised that schools must prioritise access to education and should not allow financial barriers to derail the transition to senior secondary school.
The President further called on education officials and principals to implement the directive immediately, noting that the government has already released Sh43 billion in capitation funds for the first term.
“In any case, the chiefs and assistant chiefs must ensure that every child goes to school as early as tomorrow because we have provided all the money to teach our children,” he added.
According to official figures, about 85 per cent of students have already reported to senior secondary schools, leaving roughly 15 per cent yet to enrol.
The initial reporting rate of 75 per cent prompted nationwide efforts to trace and enrol the remaining learners.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba attributed the gap largely to parents seeking transfers from schools their children were allocated under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
“There are a few issues that led to the 15 per cent of learners who did not transition, such as parents wanting to move learners from the schools they were allocated to different schools,” Ogamba said.
He noted that while the requests were understandable, they delayed enrollment and contributed to the shortfall during the first phase of the transition.
