Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary general Collins Oyuu on Saturday showered praise on President William Ruto, describing him as a “perfect teacher” during a meeting at State House.

Oyuu said the head of state had demonstrated hands-on leadership qualities comparable to the best in the classroom.

“I listened to His Excellency, and I want to be very frank… when we went to college, no one taught like this man. Your Excellency, you are a perfect teacher,” said Oyuu in his address.

“From now on, I will imitate you,” Oyuu said, drawing applause from the crowd.

The gathering brought together over 10,000 representatives from teachers’ unions and associations across the country.

The union boss further called for the institutionalisation of regular engagements between teachers and the presidency, suggesting a biennial “Walimu na Rais” forum.

He stressed that peace in schools was central to improved performance, urging unity and dialogue within the education sector.

“This sector needs peace more than ever. All performing schools have peace, and this country needs peace for education to thrive,” he said.

Ruto, in his address, used the occasion to highlight his administration’s achievements in the education sector since assuming office. 

He underscored the central role of teachers in nation-building, describing them as “Kenya’s greatest resource and patriots” who work beyond the call of duty to shape the country’s future.

“In the last three years, we have increased the education budget from Sh540 billion to Sh702 billion, the largest increment in our history. We have also recruited 76,000 teachers, and by January we will raise the figure to 100,000 to improve the teacher-student ratio,” Ruto said.

The President added that his government had invested in infrastructure with the construction of 23,000 classrooms, established the Open University of Kenya, and introduced a student-centred higher education funding model to strengthen universities and TVETs.

He also reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring a smooth transition under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which he said had been streamlined to address concerns raised by stakeholders.

The colourful State House event marked one of the largest gatherings of teachers in recent years, with Oyuu declaring support for the President’s call for a broad-based government, saying “Kumi bila break, broad-based government is the way to go.”