Pauline Njoroge weighs in after Gachagua’s national schools remarks
By David Nthua, January 7, 2026Just days after former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua triggered a storm over the admission of students from outside Mt Kenya into national schools, Pauline Njoroge has stepped forward with a measured intervention.
Taking to her X handle on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, Jubilee Party Deputy Organising Secretary Pauline Njoroge said she has no objection to top-performing students being admitted to national schools anywhere in the country, describing the move as essential for national unity.
“I have no objection to top-performing students being admitted to national schools anywhere across the country. In fact, this is a positive and necessary step towards national integration and shared nationhood,” Njoroge stated.
However, she cautioned that integration must go hand in hand with fairness and equal investment. She argued that students should encounter comparable standards regardless of where they are posted.
“A student from Kisumu admitted to a school in Garissa should find a well-built, high-quality, and well-equipped institution, just as a student from Garissa admitted to Maseno would find,” she said.
Njoroge dismissed claims that long-established national schools in parts of Mt Kenya should be exempt from comparison because of historical missionary investment.
“That argument is weak, especially in the era of devolution,” she said, noting that such schools were sustained for decades through community support, harambees, and local contributions.
She further argued that, nearly 15 years into devolution, underdevelopment cannot be blamed solely on historical marginalization.
Njoroge accused some county governments of misappropriating funds, saying resources meant for local development are diverted to private investments in Nairobi.
Gachagua’s remarks
Her remarks follow statements by Rigathi Gachagua, who questioned national school placements during a church service in Kiambu County.
“Other people are being brought to our schools here, like Alliance, Mang’u, and others, while our children are being placed in lowly ranked schools despite having higher grades. There is total confusion in the education system. Parents do not know what to do,” Gachagua said.
Njoroge concluded by urging communities to demand accountability from leaders and to revive collective investment in schools.
She observed that while church harambees raise millions today, fewer collective efforts target school development.
“The future we pray for must also be one we deliberately build,” she said.
As the debate rages on, her comments have reframed the conversation from regional rivalry to governance, equity, and shared national responsibility.
