President Ruto promises 3,500 new classrooms in Nairobi

President William Ruto has reiterated his administration’s plan to construct 3,500 new classrooms for learners in Nairobi to address a biting shortage.

The Head of State said the government is investing heavily in education infrastructure in Nairobi, which has been neglected for 60 years to help keep children in school. The building of 500 classrooms is already underway.

Dr Ruto said that he is working with leaders in the county to build the classrooms in a bid to tackle a looming crisis.

“We will continue to build classrooms for the next five years until we have enough,” the President said.

“We will also continue hiring more teachers because the greatest legacy we can leave for the future of our country is to make sure that every child in Kenya accesses quality education. No child should be left behind.”

The President made the remarks during a service at Africa Inland Church in Jericho, Nairobi yesterday.

Nationally, President Ruto said that the government has built 1,700 classrooms in the past 18 months.

Increased enrolment

Nairobi has 225 public primary schools and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres. But the schools are struggling to accommodate the huge number of learners due to increased enrolment.

As a result of the shortage, there has been a proliferation of low-fee private schools, mostly in informal settlements. Nairobi has 300 unregulated and often unsafe schools.

Speaking in Dagoretti South in January, the President said the government is committed to addressing education challenges facing the country. He announced that the government will allocate Sh1 billion to every constituency to help in the construction of more classrooms.

In October 2023, Dr Ruto acknowledged the big challenge Nairobi is facing.

“Some schools have up to 5,000 learners. We will increase budgetary allocation, apart from NG-CDF, to help in building more classrooms to address this challenge because we cannot afford to have our children in Nairobi not going to school,” he said.

“You will be shocked that there are many learners who are not going to school in Nairobi, even more than in rural counties and this is because of classroom shortage. I will be deliberate, especially for our children living in the informal settlements, by squeezing in money to make sure that not a single child in Kenya is left behind. We must move together,” he added.

Mentor children

President Ruto urged parents to mentor their children, saying that this was the best way to protect them from negative influences.

He emphasised that he would continue leading from the front in championing programmes and projects aimed at transforming the country.

The President said the government is building more than 40,000 affordable housing units in Eastlands to enable low-income earners to own homes.

He also affirmed his commitment to building churches, saying it as a duty for every Christian.

At the same time, President Ruto said he will work with all leaders to unite the country.

Meanwhile, the President said that he is keen on ensuring that Kenya remains a peaceful and united country, free from tribalism, hatred, division, and discrimination.

“One does not have to lose for another to gain. We can all be winners,” he said.

National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah called on the Church to work with the government in educating the public on initiatives such as the registration for universal healthcare.

“The programme will benefit the most vulnerable people in the country. However, they must be registered,” he said.

The Kikuyu Member of Parliament also urged religious leaders to avoid politics and concentrate on providing moral guidance to society.

comulo@ke.nationmedia.com