OPINION: Removing Prof. Julius Bitok Will Not Fix Kenya’s Education Crisis

By Dr. Luchetu Likaka

The decision by President William Ruto to transfer Amb. Prof. Julius Bitok from the Ministry of Education may create the impression that the government is responding to the growing crisis in the education sector.

However, changing personnel without addressing the structural problems affecting schools is unlikely to resolve the persistent challenges facing learners, teachers, parents, and administrators across the country.

The recent wave of unrest and strikes in secondary schools is not a consequence of one individual occupying the office of Principal Secretary.

Rather, it reflects deeper failures in education policy, implementation, financing, and leadership.

Unrest In Schools

School unrest has become a recurring phenomenon because the government has consistently treated symptoms while ignoring the underlying causes.

One of the biggest challenges remains the chronic underfunding of education.

Also Read: Why Ruto Is Heading to Europe: Trade, Jobs and New Investment Deals on the Table

Many schools are struggling with delayed capitation funds, rising operational costs, inadequate infrastructure, and growing student populations. School principals are being asked to perform miracles with shrinking resources.

Students, on the other hand, are increasingly frustrated by poor learning conditions, overcrowding, inadequate facilities, and uncertainty surrounding the implementation of education reforms.

CBE

The transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has also exposed significant gaps in planning and preparedness.

Parents continue to bear increasing financial burdens, while teachers face new responsibilities without adequate support, training, or resources.

Questions surrounding pathways, infrastructure, staffing, and funding remain largely unresolved. Replacing a Principal Secretary does not answer these concerns.

The government must also confront the growing disconnect between policymakers and stakeholders within the education sector.

Education Reform

Teachers, school administrators, parents, and students frequently complain that major decisions are made without sufficient consultation.

Effective education reform requires broad consensus and stakeholder ownership, not top-down directives.

Furthermore, school unrest is increasingly linked to broader social and economic pressures affecting young people.

Rising cases of mental health challenges, substance abuse, social media influence, family instability, and economic hardship are finding expression within schools.

Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive national strategy rather than administrative reshuffles in Nairobi.

Leadership

If the President genuinely intends to reform education, the focus should shift from changing officials to fixing systems.

Kenya needs predictable funding, improved teacher welfare, stronger school governance, enhanced student support systems, and a realistic roadmap for implementing CBC.

The country also needs honest conversations about the sustainability of current education policies.

Leadership changes can be politically convenient because they demonstrate action. However, they can also become a distraction from accountability.

The real question is not who occupies the office of Principal Secretary but whether the government has the political will to address the root causes of the crisis facing Kenyan education.

Also Read: PS Julius Bitok Moved from Education Docket with Immediate Effect

Until those structural issues are confronted, the removal of Prof. Julius Bitok will remain a symbolic gesture rather than a meaningful solution.

The challenges in Kenya’s education sector are systemic, and systemic problems require systemic solutions.

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