Bumula Member of Parliament (MP) Jack Wamboka has called on President William Ruto to remove Principal Secretary (PS) for Basic Education Julius Bitok from office.
Wamboka accused PS Bitok of presiding over systemic failures that have crippled the education sector and frustrated key government reforms.
The Bumula MP termed Bitok as a politician and someone who doesn’t fit to lead the Education reforms.
“Mr. President, Bitok will not help you achieve what you want in the Education docket, he is a politician, release him to go and face off with the likes of Jackson Mandago in Uasin Gishu,” he stated.
The DAP-K lawmaker was speaking on January 31, 2026 at Mateka Secondary School during the disbursement of bursary cheques to schools.
Further, the MP claimed that ongoing challenges in school administration, delayed capitation and confusion surrounding education policies were a direct result of a clueless Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Education, warning that continued inaction by the Head of State could mess the Ministry further.
However, Wamboka praised Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba Migos for the stellar performance at the Ministry, arguing that Ogamba is being failed by PS Bitok.
“Prof Ogamba is doing his best, but being dragged behind by this PS called Bitok, he should be removed from that Ministry with immediate effect,” he said.
He attributed the delayed disbursement of funds to schools to what he termed poor planning by Bitok, revealing that institutions had recently received only Sh7, 000 per learner out of the expected Sh22, 000 annual capitation.
According to the legislator, the shortfall has severely disrupted school operations leaving school heads struggling to meet basic expenses such as food supplies, learning materials and payment of non-teaching staff.
He warned that unless the government urgently releases the balance, many public schools risk accumulating debts and compromising the quality of education, particularly for learners from vulnerable backgrounds.
Wamboka challenged the President that the Singapore dream will never be a reality if education continues to be a challenge among students.
He also took issue with the President’s directive allowing all learners transitioning to Grade 10 to report to school without uniforms, arguing that the move places an unfair administrative and financial burden on school heads.
He maintained that while the intention was to ensure no learner is locked out of school, the government should first release capitation funds to avoid shifting responsibility to school administrators who lack other resources to manage the situation effectively.
“Instead of the government focusing on affordable housing, resources should be rechanneled to support affordable Education and healthcare for Kenyans,” he stated.
During the National Assembly retreat in Naivasha early this week, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa also took issue with Education PS Bitok describing him as a clueless Principal Secretary who doesn’t understand Education reforms.
