Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi addressing the Media Outside his Office. Photo Andre Mbuva 
By Andrew Mbuva
Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has called on President William Ruto’s administration to come clean on the status of the Free Day Secondary Education program, amid rising concerns over the collapse of public schooling across the country.
“Where is the money meant for free education going?” Mwangangi posed during a press briefing at his office. “The government must stop pretending all is well when, in reality, schools are on the brink of collapse.”
He accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of deliberately sidelining the education sector, warning that continued neglect could have devastating consequences for Kenya’s future development.
“No country globally can thrive without education—and our government knows this,” he said. “Turning a deaf ear to the crisis in our schools is not just irresponsible; it’s dangerous.”
Mwangangi expressed alarm over reports that public secondary schools were shutting down prematurely due to delayed or inadequate capitation from the government. He urged immediate intervention to salvage the academic calendar and protect learners from being sent home.
In a rare show of support, the Deputy Governor praised Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u for his honesty in admitting the budgetary challenges affecting the sector, contrasting it with what he termed as deceptive reassurances from other government officials.
“The Treasury CS has spoken the truth, and Kenyans are listening. We must take his words seriously and stop burying our heads in the sand,” he said.
Mwangangi further criticized the government's heavy investment in the Affordable Housing project, accusing it of being a misplaced priority.
“It is an abuse of national integrity to channel more money to sinister projects with questionable motives while our children are being sent home from school,” he stated. “Education must come first.”
He called on Kenyans to rally behind the education sector and demand greater transparency and accountability from leaders.
“Education is the backbone of any progressive society. If we fail to invest in our children today, we will have no future to speak of tomorrow,” he warned.
Mwangangi’s bold remarks add to growing public pressure on the Kenya Kwanza government to address the escalating funding crisis in the education sector, as schools across the country continue to grapple with operational paralysis.
