HOMABAY,19th June 2026-Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Dr Raymond Omollo, has underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to education, highlighting the unprecedented investment made by President William Ruto’s administration in the sector.
Speaking during a Thanksgiving Ceremony at Oriwo Boys’ National School in Karachuonyo Constituency today, which also marked the elevation of the institution to a C1 status, the PS emphasised that education remains a cornerstone of the country’s development agenda.
“It is not acceptable that after dedicating so much resources to educate our children, that other children are going to school and your children remain at home. We must come together and urgently address the emerging unrests in our schools,” Dr Omollo declared.
The Interior PS further revealed that the government has allocated 16% of the 2026/27 national budget to education, representing approximately Sh781.4 billion, the highest proportional allocation to the sector.
This investment, he noted, reflects the administration’s commitment to providing quality education and developing a skilled competitive workforce.
The PS highlighted that the government has hired over 100,000 teachers in three years, a feat that would have taken previous administrations 20 years to accomplish.
“Previously, past regimes would try in a year to hire 3,000 if they push maybe 5,000. It means that what President Ruto has done in three years, if he was to do what his predecessors did, it would take us another 20 if not more years to get to where we have got to in a record three years,” he said.
The recruitment drive, which has seen 76,000 teachers hired in just two years and another 20,000 set to be onboarded, is aimed at addressing the severe teacher shortage in public schools.
Additionally, more than 23,000 classrooms have been constructed across the country, with infrastructure development receiving significant attention.
On healthcare, Dr Omollo urged stakeholders to ensure all learners are registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), noting that the government has funded health facilities to provide free primary healthcare services.
“We must make sure that every individual is registered so that we benefit from the dividends or the investment that we’re making in healthcare,” he said.
Registration to SHA, he said, would guarantee students access to outpatient services without any financial burden to parents or our learning institutions.
The PS reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving 100 per cent transition from primary to junior secondary and subsequently to senior school.
“We have worked together to ensure that there’s a 100% transition in our schools. We must sustain that and we must work closely with the leadership of our schools so that if there are cases of unrest or unruliness, we must be able to find amicable and long lasting solutions,” Dr Omollo stated.
Recent data indicates that 97 % of learners who completed Grade Six in 2025 have successfully transitioned to Junior Secondary School, with 61 per cent of eligible learners already enrolled in senior secondary schools.
Dr Omollo called for a whole-of-society approach to address emerging challenges in schools, including cases of student unrest.
“As a society, we have a bigger responsibility. Some of these students also pick unbecoming behaviours from us parents. So as we try to support the schools, we also have a responsibility as parents and as citizens of this republic to be responsible,” he said.
He urged parents, teachers, school boards, religious leaders and communities to work together in nurturing well-rounded and disciplined young people.
“Education is the biggest equaliser,” Dr Omollo said, noting that the government will continue to protect the rights of all citizens while ensuring that learning continues uninterrupted.
The PS also commended President Ruto’s personal contribution of Sh10 million towards the construction of a dining hall at Chinga Boys and the provision of an ICT hub at Oriwo Boys, which features 47 computers to enhance digital learning.
