Ruto To Host Over 3,000 Teachers at State House

President William Ruto is set to convene a major education stakeholder meeting at State House Nairobi this Friday, bringing together more than 3,000 representatives from Kenya’s leading teachers’ unions and associations in what promises to be one of the largest education consultative gatherings in recent years.

The high-level meeting will draw delegates from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha), and the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha). Senior government officials from the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development are also expected to attend.

Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary-General Collins Oyuu confirmed his union’s participation but noted that no specific agenda had been shared ahead of the meeting.

“It’s generally to do with issues that are common. Visiting the President doesn’t have an agenda; he’s the one who sets it. But we shall present our issues on the floor,” Oyuu stated.

He has already notified all 110 branch secretaries to prepare their teams, including branch executive committee members and school representatives.

Kuppet Secretary-General Akello Misori described the gathering as a “stakeholder consultation to discuss issues not labour-related,” suggesting the focus will be on broader educational policy matters rather than traditional union concerns like salaries and working conditions.

He indicated that some issues to be discussed were previously raised during the national dialogue on education reforms held in Nairobi last April.

Kepsha chairperson Fuad Ali revealed that his association’s leadership spent the weekend reviewing the invitation and preparing their delegation.

The group plans to address critical issues including education funding, the ongoing transition to Competency-Based Education as students move to senior school, and the shift from the National Education Management Information System to the Kenya Education Management Information System.

“It’s an educational sort of workshop. We want to look at issues of funding education, CBE as we transition to senior school, and why we’re moving from Nemis to Kemis,” Ali explained. He emphasized that all participating unions and associations would consolidate their concerns before presenting a unified position to the President.

One significant issue on Kuppet’s agenda concerns the leadership structure of junior schools, which are currently headed by primary school headteachers. The union has been advocating for senior teachers from secondary schools to be appointed to lead these institutions instead.

Notably absent from the invitation list is the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (Kusnet), whose Secretary-General Joshua Torome confirmed his union had not received an invite. Kusnet represents the smallest membership among Kenya’s teachers’ unions.

The Friday meeting represents a significant opportunity for direct dialogue between the country’s education stakeholders and the highest office in the land, potentially shaping the future direction of Kenya’s education system as it navigates ongoing reforms and transitions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​