Former Cabinet Secretary and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has launched a fierce attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of promoting divisive ideas that threaten national unity through changes to Kenya’s education system.
In a strongly worded statement posted on X on Friday, January 9, Kuria criticised proposals associated with Gachagua’s allies that seek to localise admission and management of national secondary schools. Kuria warned that such moves would undermine the original purpose of national schools as institutions designed to bring together learners from across the country.
Kuria reflected on his own educational journey under the former 7-4-2-3 system, saying he attended day schools in Gatundu for both primary and secondary education. He noted that his first meaningful interaction with students from other ethnic communities came during his A-Level studies at Thika High School, and later at the University of Nairobi.
“When I became MP for Gatundu South, I built dormitories and converted all 38 public secondary schools into boarding schools so that no child would have to wait until university to meet fellow Kenyans from other tribes,” Kuria said, adding that the schools were upgraded to county and extra-county status.
Kuria accused Gachagua of attempting to “convert national schools into village schools,” describing the idea as retrogressive. Using unusually harsh language, he vowed to oppose the proposal at all costs, insisting that his stand was driven by patriotism rather than political rivalry. “This is not about William Ruto. It is about this country I truly love and cherish,” he said.
President William Ruto has previously weighed in on the debate, warning against politicising education. Addressing the issue on Thursday, Ruto said the government would not allow leaders to undermine national cohesion through schools.
“We will not allow desperate politicians to erect boundaries and barriers in the education system. That is why we established national schools,” Ruto said. “And by the way, all these schools are funded by all Kenyans.”
The public exchange highlights deepening tensions within the ruling coalition over governance, ethnicity, and national identity. Education policy has increasingly emerged as a sensitive political battleground, with critics cautioning that ethnic-driven reforms could erode decades of progress toward integration.
Ex-Deputy President Gachagua has not publicly responded to Kuria’s remarks.