President William Ruto has strongly defended the controversial Grade 10 placement criteria, dismissing critics—including his former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua—who argue that students should be restricted to schools within their home regions.

Speaking at a furious pace during a development tour, the President termed the "localization" debate as backward and tribal. He insisted that the new Senior School placement system is designed to foster national cohesion, ensuring that a child from Nyeri can learn in Kwale, and a child from Kisumu can study in Meru.

The Controversy

The row erupted after parents complained of chaotic placements, with some students admitted to day schools hundreds of kilometers away. Critics argue the system is broken. However, the President framed the issue as a battle between "nationalists" and "tribalists."

• The Defense: Ruto argued that national schools are national assets, funded by all taxpayers, and should be accessible to all Kenyan children based on merit, not ethnicity.
• The Review Window: To quell the anger, the Ministry of Education has opened a second review window (Jan 6-9) for unhappy parents to appeal. Education CS Julius Migos admitted there were "teething problems" but defended the integrity of the algorithm.
• Infrastructure Gaps: While the President defended the philosophy, he avoided the elephant in the room: the lack of laboratories and classrooms in many of the designated Senior Schools.

A Political Football

Education has become the latest proxy war in Kenyan politics. By doubling down, Ruto is signaling that he will not bow to populist pressure from the Mt Kenya region to "ring-fence" their elite schools. "Let our children be Kenyans," he urged. Whether the chaotic system can actually deliver on that promise remains to be seen.