Ruto pledges to hire 20,000 more teachers in January

President William Ruto has announced that the government will hire an additional 20,000 teachers in January to address the teacher-learner ratio in Kenya.

This aims to ensure that all Kenyans, particularly those in rural areas and informal urban settlements, have access to quality education.

"Many schools across Kenya continue to have gaps in education. This denies many children the opportunities to become their best," Ruto said on Thursday, during the Gold Award presentation of the President's Award Kenya at State House Nairobi.

In addition to the new teachers, the government will also employ 46,000 intern teachers who have completed two years of service under permanent and pensionable terms.

The head of state emphasised the importance of human capital, noting that continuous education, training, and skill development are essential for the nation's growth.

"Having been a cabinet minister for higher education before, I know the value of education and the importance of deploying every resource available to get our education right," Ruto said.

The President also highlighted a significant increase in the education budget, which has risen by Sh127 billion since he took office.

He mentioned that the government is allocating more resources for university and technical education through a new student-centred funding model.

Meanwhile, at the Gold Award presentation of the President's Award Kenya at State House Nairobi, 1,517 gold awardees received certificates of commendation for excelling in various fields.

Currently, over 138,000 young Kenyans are participating in the award scheme, with a target to engage one million youth over the next five years.

"I want to commit here that we will do everything to give more opportunities to our children between the ages of 14 and 24 to be part of this scheme," Ruto affirmed.

The President also encouraged parents to take an active role in their children's development, stressing the need to shape their character and integrity rather than "simply dumping them in school."

The event was attended by Cabinet Secretaries Kipchumba Murkomen (Sports and Youth Affairs) and Julius Ogamba (Education), along with Principal Secretaries Ishmael Madey (Youth Affairs) and Belio Kipsang (Basic Education), as well as Dr. Dominic Wamugunda, chairperson of the board of the President's Award Kenya.