Equity in education calls for a debate devoid of ethnicity

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. [File]

In his usual blunt style, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua this week raised an issue whispered in many circles, particularly in Central Kenya. In the view of the former DP, supported by a significant constituency, national schools located in the region were “our schools” and majority of students in those schools should be “our children”.

Supporters of this position contend that communities in Central had invested their resources, by inter alia donating community land, providing free labour and investing resources through harambee and prudent use of CDF and county monies, to develop and improve these schools only to be denied primary access. Instead, their children had been admitted to far off national schools in which little investment had been done by local leadership, or been relegated to local less endowed schools, causing untold prejudice to the children.