President William Ruto has directed Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to initiate reforms integrating madrasa education, informal religious learning and pastoral instruction programmes into Kenya's formal basic education system.
Ruto issued the directive during Madaraka Day celebrations in Wajir on Monday, June 1, 2026. He noted that some children in northern Kenya and other marginalised regions remain outside the formal education system because alternative learning pathways have not been adequately recognised.
Ruto ordered Ogamba to engage stakeholders under the Basic Education Act and develop proposals for formal recognition and integration of these pathways, including madrasa education, Tuksi and pastoral instruction programmes. He stressed that the reforms should ensure all children gain access to a recognised pathway into education and skills development regardless of background.
CS Ogamba now has the mandate to hold stakeholder meetings with education officials, religious leaders and community representatives from northern Kenya to determine how the directive will be implemented.
