MERU, Kenya — President William Ruto has called for a return to traditional African parenting values, saying stronger family and community involvement is key to addressing the growing cases of student unrest witnessed in schools across the country.
Speaking during the 60th anniversary celebrations of Burieruri Boys Senior School in Maua, Igembe Central Constituency, Meru County, on Sunday, the President said the traditional African model of raising children instilled discipline because responsibility for a child’s upbringing was shared across the wider community.
“Let us recover the wisdom of African parenting, where no child belonged to one household alone, but to the whole community; where every elder was a guardian and every child a shared responsibility,” Ruto said.
“That wisdom has never ceased to matter. Indeed, we need it now more than ever. Let us stand around our children so that none of them walks life’s hardest journeys alone,” he added.
His remarks come amid growing concern over a spike in student unrest, dormitory fires, and violent incidents in secondary schools, which have disrupted learning in hundreds of institutions across Kenya.
While praising Burieruri Boys Senior School for maintaining high standards of discipline, the President urged learners to cultivate good character alongside academic excellence.
“A nation may build magnificent schools, but if it neglects character, it builds its future on sand. Knowledge may sharpen the mind, but only discipline governs its use. Talent without discipline is wasted. Freedom without discipline descends into disorder,” he said.
Ruto also challenged parents to play a more active role in their children’s lives by understanding their struggles and supporting them throughout their educational journey.
The President’s remarks come as the Ministry of Education moves to establish a multi-stakeholder task force to investigate the causes of school unrest and recommend lasting solutions.
During the event, Ruto announced that he and his associates would finance the construction of 30 modern classrooms at Burieruri Boys Senior School at a cost of Sh40 million, alongside 20 classrooms at the neighbouring Ncunguru Primary School valued at Sh20 million.
He further directed the Ministry of Education to construct a multipurpose hall at Burieruri Boys at a cost of Sh70 million as part of plans to elevate the institution to national school status.
The Head of State reiterated that his administration was committed to equitable investment in education, insisting that every school deserves equal government attention regardless of its history or prominence.
“That is why I will keep visiting schools across our country because no institution is too small to matter, and no child is too far away to deserve the full attention of their President and their Government,” he said.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who accompanied the President, defended the government’s education record, saying budgetary allocation to the sector has risen from Sh526 billion in 2022 to Sh784 billion in the 2026/2027 financial year.
On development in Meru County, Ruto said the government had allocated Sh20 billion for affordable housing projects, including 2,000 housing units for teachers, 17 markets, and 6,000 hostels for students in universities, technical institutions, and Kenya Medical Training Colleges.
He also announced that Sh8 billion had been earmarked for road construction across the county, while compensation for land acquired for the Sh7 billion Nithi Bridge project had been completed, paving the way for construction to begin.
Additionally, the President said 23,000 households in Meru are being connected to electricity through a Sh2.3 billion programme, while Sh1 billion has been allocated for the completion of Meru Level 6 Hospital, which the government will also equip.
Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia thanked the President for implementing development projects in the county and pledged continued cooperation between the county and national governments.
The President also defended his frequent tours across the country, dismissing criticism over his travel schedule and insisting that visiting communities is part of his constitutional responsibility.
“I am not a king, but a President elected by the people of Kenya. I must therefore serve them by visiting and hearing from them,” he said before later addressing a public rally in Maua on the government’s development agenda for the region.