The battle over the soul of Kenya’s education system has moved from the classroom to the calculator. Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has launched a blistering attack on President William Ruto’s administration, accusing the government of peddling "fake figures" regarding the transition of learners to Grade 10, effectively lying to the nation about a looming crisis.

Muturi’s allegations strike at the heart of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation. While the Ministry of Education paints a rosy picture of near-100% transition and adequate infrastructure, Muturi claims the reality on the ground is a shambles of missing classrooms, confused parents, and statistical manipulation. "You cannot govern by PR," Muturi fired, asserting that the data being fed to the public is fabricated to mask systemic failures in the junior secondary rollout.

The "Ghost" Classrooms

The crux of Muturi’s argument is that the government is counting intentions as achievements. He pointed to schools in rural Kenya where Grade 9 and 10 students are learning under trees or in condemned structures, contradicting the official narrative of readiness. By inflating the transition figures, Muturi argues, the state is absolving itself of the responsibility to release necessary capitation funds, leaving headteachers to shoulder the burden of a broke system.

The criticism aligns with growing unrest among teachers' unions and parents, who have long complained that the rush to implement CBC was not matched by financial commitment. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-5)Muturi, once a close ally of the establishment, is now positioning himself as the voice of reason against what he terms "policy by deceit."

• Capitation Crisis: The fake figures allegedly allow the Treasury to withhold billions in capitation, claiming schools have fewer needs than they actually do.
• Teacher Shortage: The "success" narrative ignores the glaring deficit of 40,000 teachers required to handle the specialized Grade 10 curriculum.

A Crisis of Confidence

Muturi’s onslaught raises serious questions about the integrity of public data in the Ruto administration. If the education figures are cooked, what else is being massaged? The former Speaker’s intervention has turned a technical administrative issue into a full-blown political firestorm.

As the school term progresses, the government will need more than PowerPoint presentations to prove Muturi wrong; it will need to show Kenyans the actual desks, the actual books, and the actual teachers it claims are in place.