Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has sharply criticised Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of introducing tribal politics into national schools institutions long regarded as pillars of unity, fairness, and national identity.
Kuria said he was alarmed by remarks he attributed to Gachagua, arguing that they undermine the foundational values upon which national schools were built. He described the schools as “the last bastion of our values,” warning that politicising or ethnicising them poses a serious threat to social cohesion.
“I have heard Rigathi Gachagua tribalising the last bastion of our values national schools,” Kuria said in a strongly worded statement.
The Cabinet Secretary dismissed any suggestion that personal history confers special rights over such institutions. In a pointed remark, Kuria said Gachagua appears to believe he has the authority to speak for or lay claim to national schools simply because of his past association with Alliance High School.
“He thinks he has the right to do so simply because he went to Alliance — to supply milk when he was a District Officer in the area in the 1990s,” Kuria said.
Kuria stressed that national schools were established to serve all Kenyans regardless of ethnicity, region, or political affiliation, and cautioned leaders against dragging them into divisive political narratives.
He called on leaders to exercise restraint and responsibility, noting that national institutions must be protected from political manipulation, especially at a time when the country is grappling with deep economic and social challenges.
The remarks add to growing public debate over political rhetoric and national cohesion, with education institutions increasingly seen as sensitive symbols in Kenya’s broader struggle to preserve unity amid heightened political competition.
