President William Ruto kicked off his five-day Mt Kenya tour today in Laikipia County, laying the foundation stone for a new classroom block at Nanyuki DEB Primary and Junior School, a move aimed at bolstering educational infrastructure in the region.
The ceremony, held in Nanyuki town, marks the beginning of a broader push to enhance learning facilities and address longstanding educational needs across Mt. Kenya, a key political stronghold for the president.
The new block at Nanyuki DEB Primary and Junior School will feature 10 modern classrooms, designed to ease overcrowding and provide a conducive environment for students transitioning into the junior secondary level under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
President Ruto, flanked by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and local leaders, underscored his administration’s commitment to education as a driver of national progress.
“No community or region will be left behind. These classrooms are a step toward making education accessible and equitable for all,” Ruto said during the event.
Beyond the school project, the president’s Laikipia itinerary included a tour of other education-related initiatives. He inspected the nearly completed 200-unit Nanyuki Affordable Housing Project, which includes provisions for educational facilities, and reviewed progress on the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) in Rumuruti, which promises to integrate technical education hubs.
Ruto also assessed the distribution of borehole drilling consumables, a project tied to improving water access for schools and communities in the semi-arid county.
Local leaders hailed the focus on education but urged swift action on additional stalled projects. Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri called for the completion of the Nanyuki-Rumuruti road, arguing it would enhance access to schools and markets.
“We welcome these efforts, but infrastructure like roads must keep pace to support education and trade,” Kiunjuri noted.
Governor Joshua Irungu echoed the sentiment, emphasising collaboration between national and county governments to deliver on promises made during Ruto’s 2022 campaign.
The Nanyuki school initiative is part of a wider slate of Laikipia education projects spotlighted during the tour. Earlier in the day, Ruto reopened Ng’arachi Comprehensive School, one of nine institutions recently rehabilitated by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) following vandalism by bandits.
The reopening highlights the government’s dual focus on security and education in the region, which has grappled with intermittent instability.
Ruto’s Mt Kenya tour, spanning nine counties through April 5, comes amid political undercurrents following the 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, a prominent Mt Kenya figure.
While billed as a development mission, analysts see the visit as an effort to shore up support in a region that delivered 3.5 million votes to Ruto in 2022 but has since shown signs of discontent.
Residents greeted the president with enthusiasm, with hundreds lining the streets, though some voiced cautious optimism about tangible outcomes.
The day concluded with Ruto inspecting the Sh350 million Nanyuki Modern Market, a facility 97% complete and poised to boost trade for small-scale vendors once operational.
As the tour progresses, attention will remain on how these education and infrastructure projects resonate with Mt Kenya voters, with Nyeri County next on the president’s schedule tomorrow.
