Uncategorized

‘I Am Calling for Equity’ – Gachagua Defends His Mt Kenya School Placement Remarks

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has moved to clarify his controversial comments on the national school placement system, insisting that he was pushing for fairness and equity, not tribalism or regional exclusion. Gachagua said he fully supports students from all parts of Kenya attending schools in the Mt Kenya region, but argued that the placement system must not disadvantage local children who qualify for admission to institutions their parents helped build and sustain. “On the issue of school placement, I am not saying that kids from other areas should not come to the Mountain; I am saying that the kids from the Mountain should not be denied opportunities to go to schools their parents built when they have qualified to join those schools, at the expense of other children,” Gachagua said. He explained that long-standing concerns about what he described as historical marginalisation and discrimination against learners from the Mt Kenya region shaped his position. According to Gachagua, the placement framework must guarantee that qualified students receive fair treatment, regardless of where they come from. “I am calling for equity. The kids from the mountain region have been marginalised and discriminated against. Somebody must speak for them because their leaders are not,” he added. The former deputy president also rejected claims that his remarks promoted tribalism. He described the accusations as politically driven, noting that they only gained traction after his political fallout with the Kenya Kwanza administration. Gachagua said that while he worked with President William Ruto, people praised him as a strong political mobiliser. However, once he broke ranks with the government, critics suddenly branded him tribal for raising issues affecting his region. “Again, President William Ruto is saying that I’m tribal, but when I was helping him, I was a good man and a good mobiliser. Only when we decided we did not want anything to do with him that I became tribal,” he said. Gachagua maintained that his stance on school placement seeks to protect fairness within the education system and ensure communities that invested heavily in building schools do not see their children unfairly locked out despite meeting admission requirements. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram

admin Published: January 13, 2026 | Updated: January 13, 2026 2 minutes read

Gachagua said he fully supports students from all parts of Kenya attending schools in the Mt Kenya region, but argued that the placement system must not disadvantage local children who qualify for admission to institutions their parents helped build and sustain.

“On the issue of school placement, I am not saying that kids from other areas should not come to the Mountain; I am saying that the kids from the Mountain should not be denied opportunities to go to schools their parents built when they have qualified to join those schools, at the expense of other children,” Gachagua said.

He explained that long-standing concerns about what he described as historical marginalisation and discrimination against learners from the Mt Kenya region shaped his position. According to Gachagua, the placement framework must guarantee that qualified students receive fair treatment, regardless of where they come from.

“I am calling for equity. The kids from the mountain region have been marginalised and discriminated against. Somebody must speak for them because their leaders are not,” he added.

The former deputy president also rejected claims that his remarks promoted tribalism. He described the accusations as politically driven, noting that they only gained traction after his political fallout with the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Gachagua said that while he worked with President William Ruto, people praised him as a strong political mobiliser. However, once he broke ranks with the government, critics suddenly branded him tribal for raising issues affecting his region.

“Again, President William Ruto is saying that I’m tribal, but when I was helping him, I was a good man and a good mobiliser. Only when we decided we did not want anything to do with him that I became tribal,” he said.

Gachagua maintained that his stance on school placement seeks to protect fairness within the education system and ensure communities that invested heavily in building schools do not see their children unfairly locked out despite meeting admission requirements.