Hon. Julius MIGOS Ogamba

This morning, on behalf of His Excellency the President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, I had the honour of gracing the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of Thika School for the Visually Blind, alongside the observance of International Albinism Awareness Day.

The event celebrates eight decades of dedicated service to learners with visual impairments, while also highlighting the importance of inclusion, equality, and the protection of the rights and dignity of persons with albinism and other disabilities.

Today, I joined the First Lady, Mama Rachel Ruto, together with the families and learners of Utumishi Girls Academy, for the requiem Mass in honour of the young lives we tragically lost in the devastating fire at the institution.

As we condole with and stand in solidarity with the bereaved families, we must also rededicate ourselves to confronting the underlying challenges that continue to give rise to such tragedies. The Government remains firmly committed to building a school system in which every learner is safe, secure, and able to fully realise their potential. Through a multi-stakeholder approach, we will continue to engage all relevant actors in developing and implementing lasting solutions to stem this challenge in our institutions.

This afternoon, I had the honour of attending the National Assembly for the presentation of the FY 2026/2027 Budget Highlights by my National Treasury counterpart, Hon. John Mbadi.

The FY 2026/2027 Budget continues this Administration's longstanding commitment to investing heavily in the education sector, with 26% of the total annual public expenditure allocated to education.

Earlier today, I hosted the incoming Principal Secretary for the State Department for Basic Education, John Lekakeny Ololtuaa, and the outgoing Principal Secretary, Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok, at the Ministry’s Jogoo House B offices.

The meeting followed a hand-over ceremony at the State Department for Basic Education, in line with the Presidential directive reassigning the two Principal Secretaries.

I welcomed John Ololtuaa to the Ministry of Education and wished Prof. Julius Bitok every success in his new role.

Statement on unrest in schools.

Earlier today, I was honoured to brief His Excellency the Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, on key issues affecting the education sector. I was accompanied by the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Basic Education, Prof. Julius Bitok; the Principal Secretary for the State Department for TVET, Dr. Esther Muoria; and the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Higher Education, Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala.

The meeting deliberated matters of school safety and security, the roll out of Competency-Based Education and the promotion on access and equity at all levels of education in the country.

This morning, I joined my Cabinet colleagues for a Joint Cabinet Committee meeting chaired by His Excellency the Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, at the Deputy President’s Office in Harambee House Annex.

This evening, I was privileged to attend the Presidential Session of the Kenya-South Africa Business Forum in Midrand, South Africa.

The Forum, under the patronage of His Excellency the President Dr. William Samoei Ruto and his South African counterpart, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, brought together Government officials and business leaders to reflect on the state of trade between the two countries and to deliberate on strategies for enhancing bilateral and regional trade.

Regional integration is key to promoting intra-African trade to unlock the massive market potential on the continent across sectors, including in education and related services.

Earlier today, I had the privilege of attending the official bilateral discussions between Kenya and South Africa, under the joint chairmanship of His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, and His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The bilateral discussions focused on deepening and strengthening ties between the two countries in the areas of education, trade, health, maritime and security cooperation, sports and culture, as well as promotion of gender equality and women empowerment.

I had the honour of signing a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

This MoU provides a much-needed platform for the two countries to reset and deepen their cooperation in the TVET sector through sharing best practices, undertaking joint research, and implementing staff and student exchanges, among other initiatives.

This morning, I had the honour of joining this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir County, presided over by His Excellency the President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto.

This 63rd celebration of Kenya’s internal self-rule was marked under the theme “Education, Skills and the Future”, underscoring the reality that true self-governance relies on equipping every Kenyan with the skills and competencies required for national prosperity.