Former Interior and Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has unleashed a blistering attack on the current administration, warning that Kenya’s lofty talk of becoming the next Singapore is nothing but hot air while the education sector drowns in chaos, confusion and crippling underfunding.
Speaking at PCEA Muguga Parish in Kiambu, the no-nonsense ex-CS pulled no punches, accusing the government of presiding over a sector in total disarray and leaving parents and learners to bear the pain.
“How are you going to Singapore with such?” Matiang’i thundered, mocking the administration’s grand ambitions while basic systems collapse. “You can’t place children in school. You can’t explain why you slashed capitation. This is madness!”
He challenged leaders to act fast in the remaining months of their term, calling for an urgent, inclusive national consultation with real stakeholders – not just politicians.
“Even in these few months left, can this administration summon the humility to call an emergency meeting with school heads, teachers’ unions, parents’ associations and faith-based organisations?” he asked.
Matiang’i insisted the church must be at the table, pointing out that religious institutions founded and still sponsor many of Kenya’s schools. “Call these leaders to tell you the real pain parents are facing,” he urged.
The former CS, once celebrated for cleaning up national exams and restoring order in education, said only broad engagement with professionals on the ground can rescue the sector from the current mess of botched placements, slashed funding and policy flip-flops that have left families reeling.
His fiery remarks come amid mounting opposition fury over the government’s handling of Grade 10 placements into national schools. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has also weighed in, demanding regional balance and fairness.
“National schools have top infrastructure and attract the best talent. There must be fairness – local children who qualify should get priority in schools within their regions,” Gachagua said on Friday.
As criticism piles up from across the political divide, one question hangs heavy: Will the government finally listen – or will Kenya’s education dreams continue to crumble?
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