WAJIR, Kenya, Jun 1 — President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Education to begin consultations aimed at formally integrating Madrasa, Duksi, and pastoral instruction programmes into Kenya’s basic education framework, in a move expected to expand access to education for thousands of children in marginalised communities.
Duksi is a foundational religious learning institution for young children, particularly in Somali-dominated regions.
Speaking during the 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations held in Wajir County, the President said the government will establish a clear legal and policy framework to recognise alternative learning pathways that have traditionally operated outside the formal education system.
Ruto noted that the absence of an official framework for Duksi, Madrasa, and pastoral instruction had left many children, particularly in northern Kenya and other marginalised regions, without recognised educational pathways.
“Today I direct the Cabinet Secretary for Education to engage all relevant stakeholders and take the necessary measures under the Basic Education Act to consult widely and recommend appropriate measures for the formal integration of the same,” the President said.
“This will ensure that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has a recognised pathway into learning, skills and opportunity. Every child deserves a door into learning. It is our duty to open every door.”
The directive formed part of a broader government agenda aimed at promoting inclusion and addressing historical inequalities in northern Kenya.
The President said education remains the most powerful tool for transforming lives and unlocking economic opportunities, noting that government investment in the sector has significantly increased.
According to Ruto, the education budget has grown from Sh500 billion in 2022 to more than Sh702 billion today, while over 100,000 teachers have been recruited in the last three years, with an additional 20,000 set to be employed.
He highlighted efforts to address chronic teacher shortages in northern Kenya through an affirmative action programme that has led to the operationalisation of teacher training colleges in Wajir, Kutulo and Mandera.
“Today, through this affirmative action programme, a record 1,800 local teachers from Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties have been employed and will be deployed in the region,” he said.
The President also revealed that 4,616 students from the region are currently enrolled in teacher training colleges, the highest number recorded in the area’s history.
Beyond education reforms, Ruto used the national celebrations to defend his administration’s decision to abolish the controversial vetting process for national identity cards in northern Kenya, saying the move was intended to end decades of discrimination against legitimate Kenyan citizens.
He recounted the experience of a Wajir resident who, despite being born in Kenya, repeatedly faced hurdles in obtaining a national identity card.
“For more than six decades, this was the lived experience of hundreds of thousands of Kenyans in northern Kenya,” Ruto said.
“We did not abolish verification of citizenship. We abolished discrimination.”
The President said the reforms introduced through the Presidential Declaration on Registration and Issuance of IDs and Birth Certificates in Northern Kenya, signed in Wajir in February 2025, have already enabled thousands of young people to obtain identity documents without extra vetting procedures.
Ruto further outlined major government investments in education, healthcare, housing, roads, and livestock development across northern Kenya, describing them as part of a deliberate effort to ensure no region is left behind.
He announced that construction of a civilian terminal at Wajir Airport will begin before the end of the year and confirmed plans to establish a university in the county.
Declaring that “Wajir is not the edge of Kenya, Wajir is Kenya,” the President said northern Kenya will play a central role in the country’s future economic transformation through investments in education, livestock, infrastructure, water projects, and regional trade.
“Our message is clear: no child is too far away to deserve opportunity, and no county is too remote to deserve development,” he said.
