Irungu Nyakera Pledges Free School Uniforms for Every Public School Learner

Incoming Makadara MP Irungu Nyakera has pledged to champion legislation guaranteeing free school uniforms for learners in Kenya’s public schools, saying the initiative would ease the financial burden on parents and promote equal opportunities in education.

Nyakera said he would introduce a Bill in Parliament to establish a framework for providing free uniforms to every learner in public schools if elected to represent Makadara Constituency.

He argued that if the government can provide uniforms for various categories of public servants, including security officers and other personnel, it should also consider extending similar support to schoolchildren, who represent the country’s future.

Kenya has approximately 104,000 police officers, 31,000 prison officers and 25,000 military personnel, alongside National Youth Service personnel, Kenya Wildlife Service rangers, Kenya Forest Service officers and Coast Guard personnel who receive government-issued uniforms.

The country also has more than 42,000 nurses who receive uniform allowances.

“ If we can dress those who serve our nation, surely we can dress those who represent its future,” Nyakera said in a statement outlining his commitment to improving access to education.

## Foundation Launches Uniform Support Pilot in Makadara

As part of his commitment to the proposal, Nyakera, through the Irungu Nyakera Foundation, is providing free school uniforms to Grade 6 learners across Makadara who are transitioning to Grade 7.

The initiative is intended to serve as a pilot project demonstrating how targeted support can help families meet education-related expenses as children progress through school.

School uniforms remain a recurring expense for many households, particularly families with several school-going children. The cost can become an additional challenge when learners transition to another grade or school level and require new uniforms.

Nyakera’s proposal seeks to address this burden by making school uniforms more accessible to learners in public schools.

If implemented nationally, the proposed legislation would seek to establish a more structured approach to supporting families with the cost of uniforms, subject to the relevant legislative, policy and budgetary processes.

## Education Support and Equal Opportunity

The proposal places school uniforms at the centre of a broader discussion about the cost of education and the responsibilities of government in supporting learners.

Although uniforms are not the only expense parents face, providing them at no cost could help reduce the financial pressure associated with keeping children in school.

For families struggling to meet education expenses, such assistance could free up limited resources for other essential needs, including food, transport, learning materials and household necessities.

The pilot project in Makadara is expected to provide a practical starting point for Nyakera’s wider proposal, while highlighting the potential role of partnerships and community initiatives in supporting education.

His approach combines a proposed national legislative intervention with a local initiative through the foundation, signalling an intention to demonstrate the idea at constituency level before advocating for broader implementation.

As the country continues to discuss ways of improving access to quality education, the proposal adds to calls for interventions that address not only school access but also the costs families incur in supporting their children’s learning.

For Nyakera, the guiding principle is that children should receive support that enables them to pursue their education without the additional burden of uniform costs.

The proposed Bill would require consideration by Parliament and the relevant government agencies before any nationwide programme could be implemented.

For now, the foundation’s initiative in Makadara provides the starting point for his pledge to extend free school uniforms to learners in public schools across Kenya.