President Ruto Removes PS Bitok from Education Docket Amid Unrest in Schools

President William Ruto has removed Julius Bitok from the Basic Education docket and transferred him to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife in the latest changes affecting top government officials.

Bitok has been replaced by John Ololtuaa, who previously served as the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.

The changes were announced on Tuesday, June 9, through a statement issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

Bitok leaves the Education Ministry after serving in the position for about 15 months. During his time in office, the ministry faced increasing concerns over unrest in schools, including dormitory fires, student strikes and early school closures in some institutions.

His tenure also attracted criticism from different groups over how some key issues in the education sector were handled. The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) had earlier petitioned the Public Service Commission seeking his removal, citing alleged leadership failures and concerns over the implementation of school safety measures.

Despite the unrest witnessed in schools, Bitok had maintained that the situation was under control, noting that only a small number of schools had been affected compared to the more than 52,000 schools across the country. He also opposed calls for an early midterm break and instead advised school heads to adjust academic programmes where necessary.

According to State House, the latest reshuffle is part of efforts by President Ruto’s administration to improve service delivery and strengthen the implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Bitok now heads to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, while Ololtuaa takes charge of the Basic Education docket at a time when the government is under pressure to address the rising cases of unrest in schools.

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