Ex-DP Rigathi Gachagua/FILE
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sought to clarify his recent remarks on school placement, saying his comments were aimed at advocating for equity and fairness, not exclusion or tribalism.
Gachagua said he was not opposed to students from other regions joining schools in the Mt Kenya region, but insisted that children from the area should not be denied admission to institutions their parents helped establish when they have met the required qualifications.
“On the issue of school placement, I am not saying that kids from other areas should not come to the Mountain; I am saying that the kids from the Mountain should not be denied opportunities to go to schools their parents built when they have qualified to join those schools, at the expense of other children,” Gachagua said.
He argued that his position was driven by concerns over what he termed as historical marginalisation and discrimination against learners from the Mt Kenya region.
According to Gachagua, equity in access to education should be upheld to ensure that qualified students are not unfairly disadvantaged in the placement process.
“I am calling for equity. The kids from the mountain region have been marginalised and discriminated against. Somebody must speak for them because their leaders are not,” he said.
The former deputy president also dismissed accusations that his remarks were tribal, saying such claims were politically motivated and only emerged after his fallout with Kenya Kwanza regime.
Gachagua said he was previously praised for his political mobilisation skills when he supported the government, but was now being labelled tribal for raising concerns affecting his region.
“Again, President William Ruto is saying that I’m tribal, but when I was helping him, I was a good man and a good mobiliser. Only when we decided we did not want anything to do with him that I became tribal,” he said.
His remarks come amid ongoing public debate over the national school placement system, which seeks to balance merit, regional representation and equity.
Gachagua maintained that his call was for fairness within the system and respect for communities that have invested heavily in educational institutions.
Last week, President William Ruto warned politicians against politicising the education of Kenyan children, saying the government will not allow tribal or selfish interests to limit access to learning.
The President said national schools were created to dismantle barriers rooted in colonialism and tribalism, not to entrench them.
“We want our children to study in every institution available to them in Kenya, especially our national schools,” he said.
He noted that the institutions were built using public resources and must therefore serve all Kenyans fairly.