President William Ruto has reassigned two Principal Secretaries in a swift reshuffle announced on Monday by the Office of the Chief of Staff Felix Koskei.

Prof. Julius Kibet Bitok, who has been serving as PS for the State Department for Basic Education, has been moved to the State Department for Tourism in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Taking his place in Basic Education is John Lekakeny Ololtuaa, who was previously the PS for Tourism.

The timing of the move is significant. It comes in the middle of a wave of student unrest that has seen close to 100 schools disrupted this term, with students citing poor food, harsh punishment, and bad living conditions. Bitok had faced mounting criticism over his handling of the situation, including remarks about school calendars that drew public backlash.

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Ololtuaa, a former teacher and school principal, is widely seen as a steadying hand for the sector, with his background viewed as an asset as the government works to restore calm ahead of the June 24 midterm break.