Ruto Rolls Out Ksh500 Million Scholarship Programme for Marginalised Groups

President William Ruto has unveiled plans to establish a Ksh500 million annual National Minority Scholarship Programme aimed at expanding access to quality education for Kenya’s minority, indigenous, and marginalised communities.

Speaking on Thursday during the International Day for Minority Rights celebrations at State House, President Ruto said the government will partner with private sector players to support learners from poor minority and marginalised backgrounds to join both secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

In a major boost to education infrastructure, the President also announced that the Ministry of Education will set aside Ksh200 million annually through an Education Infrastructure Fund. The funding will go toward building, upgrading, and equipping schools and middle-level colleges in minority and marginalised regions.

In addition to this, President Ruto instructed the Ministries of Water, Roads, and Health, together with the Equalization Fund, to consider minority and marginalised groups in the construction of projects that entail provision of clean water, accessibility, and health facilities. He argued that this will greatly boost the standards of living of those affected.

The President explained that the new initiatives will be implemented under the National Policy on Ethnic Minorities, Indigenous and Marginalised Communities (2025–2035), which the government recently launched to address persistent social, economic, and political challenges affecting these groups across the country.

Under the policy framework, the government will establish a Minorities and Marginalised Communities Directorate as the central coordinating unit, alongside a National Council for Ethnic Minorities and Marginalised Communities, which will be created through legislation.

“This guarantees a permanent, authoritative voice for minority concerns across government, with focal points in every ministry and county,” President Ruto said.

He directed that the government immediately set up the Minorities and Marginalised Communities Directorate within the Office of the President to oversee and coordinate implementation across all sectors.

President Ruto also instructed county governments to establish County Minority Inclusion Units and to domesticate the policy in their upcoming County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) to ensure grassroots implementation.

In a further policy shift, the President elevated the Unit into a semi-autonomous agency, granting it the legal and financial authority required to effectively coordinate, implement, and safeguard all issues affecting minority and marginalised communities in Kenya.

“The Attorney-General, in consultation with the Kenya Law Reform Commission, shall commence drafting the necessary legislation to establish the National Council and align existing laws with this policy,” he added.

President Ruto said the reforms will usher in a new era of inclusion, dignity, and shared national progress, stressing that minority communities remain central to Kenya’s identity and are indispensable to the country’s peace, unity, and long-term prosperity.

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