Most of those who take their children to private schools are civil servants not the rich. They sacrifice to pay that fees in other words wanajinyima kufanya other things just to give their children quality education.

This is not RAO 32/72 poor man's rich man's maize meal. Here you are quite wrong my friend. Even the best of "free market economist" will not agree with you. Government should play a hand in directing the market in three areas to guarantee economic growth.
1. When a competing nation offers subsidies to its manufacturers or farmers, our government should do the same to offset the consequences at home as the market has been warped.
2. In times of war, the government should shape market policies particularly not trading with adversaries.
3. In education of the youth, as this is the only way an economy/nation can really "invest" and guarantee the sustainability of the investement. (NOTE, not in the scope of public healthcare, provision of water and other public infrastructure issues e.t.c)


Others can be arguably left to the "invisible hand"

I think this step is driven by sound economic theory and i can see the presidents hand in this. Kibaki has proven time and again that he understands the key economic issues(remember the global cheer for Kenya's free primary education?) The idea here is not competition for space between the rich and poor but a second step from free primary education towards ensuring a wider reach of good education to the countries youth particularly the poor. It is absurd to punish a poor child for life on the most important aspect of personal development which is in turn key for national economic development. You have to remember that this acts as a subsidy to the poor youth (an investment in the countries manpower), the rich already have options including the likes of Strathmore and precious blood which will grow with the wealth of the country. Further, private education institutions need to develop upwards, currently they are underfunded (private universities). This is not communism/socialism e.t.c it is very sound economic policy.

@ MuchKnow, you missed the thread where bloggers are taking a bite at RAO, its the one on Ivory Coast.

However I agree with you. Ensuring equitable (not equal) education for the populace is the responsibility of government.

Infact if a good education is better than oil deposits, case of Israel vs Saudi Arabia.

Interesting sides of a very important topic. @Obi, I really like your stand, taking a position from where your self-interest(your boy) lies. But I wonder- perhaps you've had the enlightenment that comes from having experienced the other side - the primary public. Also your boy is only beginning school, so you still have the chance of shifting strategy to allign with best intesrest(read self interest), by later transfering to public school, if that would give him best chance.

But how would you react if you were hit instantly by this poilicy change? Perhaps it would have been proper for govt to give some lead time to the policy shift. Is it really a policy shift?. what has been determining brightest students being selected to national schhools?

Lets just say, the only people who will benefit from this set of rules is the headmaster in a certain remote village. Trust me, the rich's kid will never loose out. the poor's kid is disadvantaged here and i am not saying that he/she should be left deep in the woods, no but the current state of affairs will only favour the kids of last sitting... come next year....... people will be beating this shoddy system big time. Remember, the kids in private schools are not necessarily for the rich. My househelp's kids are in a private school in one of the informal settlements and the school is full to capacity.... she'd be more than happy to take her kids in public schools but there are no facilities...

Talking to some parents around, they have already started making contacts with the H/Ms of certain schools in view of having their kids register with them then study in private schools and only do the exams there.... Either way, people will definitely have a way of beating the system. dont be surprised that some of the private schools will facilitate those arrangements for parents too... afterall, the parent will have paid school fees in the private school anyway which is their main aim.... Dont rejoice too soon my friends.... The government has to come up with a system that is workable... if not, we are still in the woods.

And by the way, even the children from the rich are entitled to join the National government funded schools..... their parents pay taxes and these schools are funded on the same, right? It is actually their constitutional right.