Asante. Strong, Bishop Emeritus, Bishop Wonga and the clergy, fellow leaders, Maseno School parents, students and well-wishers. There are schools that educate students and there are institutions that shape the destiny of a nation. Maseno School belongs to the latter category.
Some 120 years ago when this institution was founded, the Republic of Kenya as we know it today did not exist. There was no independent state, no national flag, and no constitution. Yet here at the foothills of Mabongo Hills along the border of present day Kisumu and Vihiga counties, the foundations of what would become a towering institution of academic excellence were already being laid.
For 12 decades, Maseno School has stood not merely as a center of learning, but as a living monument to the enduring power of education, discipline, leadership, service, and nationhood. Generations have passed through its gates, carrying the hopes of families, communities, and a nation searching for its place in history.
Empires have risen and faded. Governments have changed. Political seasons have come and gone. Yet, Maseno has endured, producing leaders, scholars, clergy, scientists, public servants, and patriots who helped shape Kenya and East Africa into what we are today.
This anniversary therefore is not merely a celebration of longevity. It is a celebration of continuity, institutional excellence, and national memory. Ladies and gentlemen, as one of the oldest formal institutions of learning in Kenya, established in 1906 by missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, Maseno occupies a unique place in the educational and historical journey of our nation.
I am amazed but also encouraged by the courage of JJ Willis, who traveled to the unknown, had the courage to come all the way through Mabongo Hills here and set up this great institution. It reminds us that with the same courage we can take this institution to the next 120 years.
What began with six sons of African chiefs gathering under the shade of the Oseno tree has evolved into one of the most distinguished educational institutions in the African continent. The name Maseno is derived from the hickory tree scientifically known as kaya but locally called Oseno in Dholuo and Oluseno in Luyia. A fitting symbol for an institution whose roots run deep and whose legacy has endured across generations.
From its early years, Maseno embraced not only academic instruction, but also practical and technical education in fields such as masonry, carpentry, and tailoring, reflecting a philosophy of education that sought to prepare young people not merely for examinations, but for life, service, and leadership.
This vision is fully aligned with the transformative reforms we are implementing under the Competence-Based Education and Training. Our goal is to nurture every learner according to their unique talents, abilities, creativity and aspirations so that no child is confined by a one-size-fits-all model of education.
We are building an education system that empowers young people to discover their true potential early and pursue career pathways that fully harness their gifts, whether in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, the arts, sports, entrepreneurship, agriculture or other technical fields in an increasingly competitive and innovation-driven world.
Kenya's future prosperity will depend on our ability to produce not only academics but also problem solvers, innovators, creators, researchers and ethical leaders capable of transforming our nation and positioning Kenya and Africa at the forefront of global progress.
I say this against the background that from today Kenya will be hosting the France-Africa summit named Africa Forward. From tomorrow and the next two days, 30 heads of state from Africa and elsewhere will be in our country, speaking to the contribution that knowledge, education and leadership make so that we can position our country appropriately for the future not just of our nation but our continent as well.
Ladies and gentlemen, over the last 120 years, Maseno School has benefited from visionary educators and administrators, among them the renowned Edward Carey Francis, whose contribution to education in Kenya remains legendary. Today the story of Maseno School is inseparable from the story of Kenya.
I have been taken around this institution and I have encountered sites that are not merely school landmarks but important monuments of our national heritage. I have seen the historic Oseno tree under which the first six students began their journey. I have visited the house where the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga lived while teaching here between 1943 and 1945. And I have also seen the chapel built in 1906 at the very dawn of this institution's existence.
These are not ordinary places. They are living chapters of Kenyan history. I therefore commend the successive boards of management, principals, teachers and alumni and the wider Maseno community for preserving these historical landmarks for future generations. Nations that preserve their history preserve their identity.
Ladies and gentlemen, the graduates of Maseno School are known and respected across Kenya, Africa and the world. This institution has produced distinguished leaders in public service, academia, science, diplomacy, business, religion and public life. Among its illustrious alumni are Kenya's first vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, renowned scientist Professor Thomas Odhiambo, Barack Obama Senior, Professor David Wasawo, Professor Reuben Ombui, freedom fighter Achieng Oneko and many others whose contributions continue to shape our society.
But perhaps Maseno's greatest distinction is not simply the prominence of its alumni. It is the culture of excellence the institution has sustained across generations. I am very, very proud to know that Maseno in its 120 years has not participated in any strike. That is phenomenal.
While many schools rise and fall with seasons and circumstances, Maseno has consistently remained among the leading centers of academic excellence in Kenya. That consistency is not accidental. It is the product of culture, discipline, institutional pride and unwavering commitment to excellence.
When the student president here, Chris, spoke, I saw a fine gentleman, measured in every way, but focused. And he gave a very good account of the student fraternity in this school: discipline, humility and excellence. Congratulations, Chris.
As government, we do not regard investment in education as an expenditure. We treat it as the most strategic investment we can make in the future of our nation. Education is not a luxury. Education is the engine that drives social mobility, economic transformation, innovation and national progress. It is the foundation upon which the destiny of every great nation is built.
And that is why I am very proud of what we have achieved in the last 3 years. We had serious challenges in the space around education. We had a chronic problem with CBC. We had a chronic teacher shortage. We had a problem with learning spaces. And of course, we had a problem with funding that limited the ability of especially our institutions of higher learning at the college and university to be able to deliver quality education.
In the last three years, working with all partners, working with parents, working with teachers and students and other stakeholders, we have managed to consolidate gains around education. The crisis that there seemed to be 3 years ago is slowly settling. We have engaged broadly, widely and deeply with stakeholders on aligning our curriculum. And we have finally settled on the Competence-Based Education and Training with clarity on the responsibilities of students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders.
We have also addressed significantly the teacher shortage problem. We had in 2022 a teacher shortage of 116,000. In the last 3 years, we've hired 100,000 teachers. We are hiring another 20,000 this year to make sure that consistently we close the gap on teacher shortage in our learning institutions.
I was happy to note that the school chief principal here said 3 years ago there were 53 teachers in Maseno. Today they have 93. Meaning there are an additional 40 teachers hired in the last 3 years. Of the 100,000 teachers that we've hired, 40 have come to Maseno. He has however informed me that there is still another 40 teachers that are still hired under the board of management structure.
Let me say that because we are hiring more teachers this year, immediately we will absorb 25 of the 40 teachers and then we will absorb the balance later in the year. So please present the list of 25 teachers to the CS for Education and we will facilitate their employment immediately.
We have also worked with our TVETs and universities. We had a serious crisis of the funding model that we had in that space and today we have changed the funding model so that it doesn't focus on the institution, it focuses on the student so that we can tailor-make funding for every student depending on their ability or the ability of their parents and guardians to support them and to ensure that no child is left behind.
And that has made us increase the budget for education from 500 billion shillings in 2022 to 702 billion this year. And in the proposed budget we have 767 billion for the year 2026-2027. And it is because I have said we do not treat money spent educating our children as an expenditure. We treat it as an investment.
And I will continue to spearhead the process of making sure that every learner has space to learn, resources for the learning, teachers and all the other facilities that are necessary. The figures I've just mentioned are not merely figures in the budget. They represent classrooms built, teachers employed, laboratories equipped, opportunities expanded, and dreams made possible for millions of young Kenyans.
At the same time, we are undertaking a major expansion of educational infrastructure. As I have said here, we have built 23,000 new classrooms. We are in the process of building another 1,600 laboratories across Kenya. Yesterday I was in a place called Dol in a school in Dol supporting the infrastructure development there. Early this year, I was in my alma mater, Kapset Boys, again to build momentum for more and more students to get access to education.
Last Saturday, a day like this, I was in Niri School in Muranga again to push for more learning spaces and greater opportunity extended to our children, especially in institutions like Maseno where you have culture, you have history, and you have a record of excellence. We must make it possible for more students to access this great facility.
And that is why I support my good advisor Joe and the team here including George Wayo in thinking outside the box and looking at a new Maseno that will serve our nation for the next 100 years. And I like that they've been bold in their thinking and in their vision. And I want to assure you, Joe and George, that you have my support.
In this context, I have been informed that while Maseno's academic standing has continued to rise, some of its support infrastructure has not expanded at the same pace. This is a matter that deserves attention because institutions of this stature must be supported to match their historic mission and future responsibilities. We shall therefore work closely with the school administration, alumni and stakeholders of Maseno School to upgrade its physical infrastructure so that it fully reflects the stature, heritage and standing as one of Kenya's premier institutions of learning.
I know why you invited me for this occasion. If you wanted somebody to talk, you would have looked for somebody else. But if you wanted things to get done, that's why you look for me.
I have participated in the lifting of many institutions of learning, building classrooms, laboratories and many other physical infrastructure in different schools and I don't regret for a moment any opportunity that I have gotten to be able to add learning space for one child or whatever number or to make sure that there is a teacher in a classroom, it is always a very, very proud moment.
And so because we must embrace the future and we must continue drawing inspiration from institutions like Maseno. The question before us is no longer whether Maseno has a glorious past. History has already answered that question for us. The real question is whether institutions with such a powerful heritage, resilience and intellectual tradition can help lead Kenya and Africa into the future. And I believe they can, they should, they will, and they must.
I therefore urge the Maseno School community not to merely preserve its proud legacy but to boldly shape the next frontier of Kenyan and African leadership, innovation, science, ethics and public service. The future of our continent will depend on institutions capable not only of transmitting knowledge but also of producing courageous thinkers, transformative leaders and visionary citizens equipped to navigate and define the world of tomorrow. And Maseno is such an institution.
Therefore, having read carefully what the vision of Maseno is going into the future and understanding very well why you invited me here, and I don't assume that you invited me merely because I'm President, you invited me because you know I'm a friend and I am practical. So this is what we are going to do.
Joe and your team, you must lead from the front. I'm very proud, they have already raised 80 million. Did I read it correctly, Joe? That's true. Yes, 80 million for coffee. That 80 million you can spend in doing the various workshops and some laboratories there and also an ICT place for these young guys. When you do the ICT space, the government of Kenya will supply the computers necessary for that space.
William Ruto and friends. I will mobilize my own friends because I understand very well that this is going to be a collaborative effort. It is not government alone. It's not parents. It's not alumni or friends like me. We all have to pull together. Therefore, myself and friends, we are going to build 40 classrooms to accommodate at least 1,600 students.
And my suggestion, Malimu, is that half of those classrooms, which will be ready before the end of this year, the next few months, half of those classrooms will be used by these gentlemen and then the other half you admit an extra 800 students next year.
My request and my intention, and I have done this in many of the senior schools that we have in Kenya from Nairobi School to Alliance to Ingoro and all the others including Kapset, is that an institution with great heritage and history and culture of excellence like Maseno should open its doors to more students. There is absolutely no reason why we should not support Maseno with infrastructure so that we can have at least 5,000 students in this school to benefit from the culture and the great tradition that has been built over the years.
We will have less and less people like Oginga and I who could not manage to come to Maseno and all the other good people. Then our Ministry of Housing is going to build a dormitory to accommodate 2,000 students.
Although I was told earlier that some of us stayed in dormitories, but in Maseno you stay in houses. So I'm sure we'll build a house that will accommodate 2,000 students. And then the Ministry of Education is going to build for you a multi-purpose hall.
And then I am sure that we will be very well underway to a new Maseno. Building on the legacy and the history of what this institution has done, we will have made our small contribution to taking this great institution to the next level.
So I will mobilize everybody I have said here to do their bit. Waziri, you will do your part together with your colleague Alice Wahome to make sure that the house and the multi-purpose hall is done and I will do my part with my friends and then I am sure Joe and team will do theirs.
Now, Singapore, shortly they will not be going to Singapore. They will be coming to Maseno. In our lifetime, we are going to change our country. I have so much belief in it. Don't worry about the naysayers. Don't worry about the pessimists and the people who see nothing good because I sometimes wonder when I see people say how much of a crisis we have in education and I wonder, I mean there was no crisis when we had a shortage of 100,000 teachers, now that we have hired 100,000 teachers, there's a crisis. You know there was no crisis when there was a shortage of classrooms. Now that we have built 23,000 in 3 years, all of a sudden there is a crisis. Really, we need godly leaders.
I think we do across the board. Those of us in politics and those of us in other areas I don't want to mention. We will need godly leaders all around so that we can speak to what it is and be helpful to ourselves. I don't know why people always want to see the glass as half empty, not half full. There's always a contribution each and every one of us can make. Finger-pointing, blame game, assigning other people blame will not solve us. It was said an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I think we need more collaboration. We need more working together. We need more synergy and we need to believe in ourselves.
The biggest challenge we have is the belief in God, the belief in Kenya and the belief in our ability. We must believe in us. We must believe in our ability to take this nation to the next level. There are no angels that will come from anywhere. It is us. Before you ask the next person what they have done, please have a meeting with yourself and ask yourself what have you done yourself before you point fingers to others. Otherwise, I want to assure you that we are going to work together. We're going to build this nation together. And it is my singular mission to work with all leaders in the transformation of our nation.
It may not be an easy assignment, but it is a national imperative for us to move this nation to the next level and to unite this nation beyond tribe, creed, religion or color. We are one nation, one people with a common destiny. I have so much faith in this country. I have so much faith in the ability of Kenya to be the example for this continent going into the future and I want to tell you we can do it. We have the ability to do it. So to shikani kasi and we can attain the future we all dream of, a Kenya where we are all proud to be Kenyan.
You have my, as a parent, you have my prayers and support and goodwill as you navigate your journey in life, as you go through your education, keep your focus and we are there to support you and the government of Kenya will always spare no effort in making sure that all our learners have what it takes to be their best.
It's my first time by the way, my very first time in Maseno and I admit you are a great school. You are a great institution and I'm going to partner with you to make it greater. Asante sana and God bless you.
