Ruto Launches Sh500 Million Annual Scholarship Programme for Minority Communities

President William Ruto has directed the establishment of a Sh500 million annual National Minority Scholarship Programme to support children from minority and marginalised communities to access quality education.

Speaking at State House on Thursday during the International Day for Minority Rights, the President said the programme will be implemented in partnership with private sector players. It will help needy children from minority communities join secondary schools and higher education institutions.

President Ruto also announced that the Ministry of Education will set aside Sh200 million every year for an Education Infrastructure Fund. The money will be used to build, upgrade, and equip schools and middle-level colleges in minority and marginalised areas.

In addition, the President directed the Ministries of Water, Roads, and Health, together with the Equalisation Fund, to prioritise minority regions in the provision of clean water, access roads, and health facilities. He said this will help improve living conditions in these areas.

The initiatives will be implemented under the newly launched National Policy on Ethnic Minorities, Indigenous and Marginalised Communities (2025–2035), which aims to address long-standing challenges facing minority groups across the country.

The policy provides for the establishment of a Minorities and Marginalised Communities Directorate to coordinate government efforts. It also proposes the creation of a National Council for Ethnic Minorities and Marginalised Communities through legislation.

“This will guarantee a permanent and strong voice for minority communities across government, with focal points in every ministry and county,” President Ruto said.

He directed that the Directorate be set up immediately within the Office of the President and elevated into a semi-autonomous agency with legal and financial authority to handle minority issues.

Governors have also been instructed to establish County Minority Inclusion Units and to include the policy in their next County Integrated Development Plans.

President Ruto further directed the Attorney-General, in consultation with the Kenya Law Reform Commission, to begin drafting laws to establish the National Council and align existing legislation with the new policy.

He said the measures mark a new era of inclusion, dignity, and shared development, adding that minority communities are a vital part of Kenya’s national identity, peace, and prosperity.