Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been forced to walk back his controversial remarks on the placement of Grade 10 learners into national schools, marking the second time in recent months that he has been compelled to correct himself following backlash from senior political leaders.
Gachagua, who spoke at a rally in Nyeri County on Thursday, January 8, sought to reframe his earlier comments on school placement, saying they had been misunderstood. He claimed he was only advocating for fairness, insisting that students from the Mt Kenya region also deserve opportunities in top-performing schools.
“All children in this country are equal, but children from this region should not be sidelined during placement,” Gachagua said, attempting to soften remarks that had earlier been interpreted as promoting regional preference.
However, his clarification came just hours after President William Ruto publicly rebuked him, accusing the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader of injecting tribal politics into the education system. Speaking during the disbursement of NYOTA funds in Uasin Gishu County, the President warned Gachagua against using schools to advance divisive politics.
“They have now gone to our schools to divide our children. Let our children learn. Every child is Kenyan regardless of the community they come from,” Ruto said.
The Head of State cautioned that politicising the Grade 10 placement process risked undermining transparency and fairness under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
Gachagua had earlier questioned why students from other regions were being placed in top schools located in the Mt Kenya region, remarks that triggered widespread criticism from education stakeholders and political leaders.
This is not the first time the former deputy president has been forced into a public correction. In a previous incident, Gachagua faced sharp criticism over comments touching on the Somali community in Eastleigh, Nairobi, remarks that were strongly rebutted by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, prompting another retreat.
The repeated reversals have renewed debate over Gachagua’s public messaging, with critics accusing him of consistently testing divisive narratives before retreating under pressure.