The Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP), under the State Department for Information and Communications Technology (ICT), has handed over digital literacy devices at Migori Junior Secondary School worth millions of shillings.
The event, dubbed the National Classroom Experience of the Digital Literacy Programme Phase II, marked the official rollout of modern learning equipment across 341 public schools in Migori County.
The primary objective of these nationwide activities was to assess the progress of the Digital Literacy Programme on a national scale, highlight the essential responsibilities of institutions in taking care of the equipment, and officially hand over the digital literacy devices to the school administration.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Public Investments and Assets Management under Kenya’s National Treasury and Economic Planning, Cyrell Odede Wagunda, confirmed that laptops and interactive smartboards are being distributed across 341 primary and junior secondary schools in Migori County.
“This distribution of laptops and smartboards is designed to reach 341 schools within this region to transform how our learners interact with education,” Wagunda stated, noting that installation has already commenced in junior secondary schools such as the Migori, Ombo, Muslim, and Kadika primary schools.
The PS urged educators across the county to ensure the new equipment is fully integrated into daily instruction while criticising those who are hesitant to embrace digital literacy in modern teaching.
“I urge all our teachers to take an active part in ensuring every piece of equipment handed over today is fully utilised in the classroom,” he emphasised, adding, “We must move past resistance and embrace digital literacy. Those who are not embracing technology in education are holding back our learners’ potential.”
Addressing the maintenance and safety of the infrastructure, Wagunda stressed that school management must take strict ownership of the gadgets.
“One of the core requirements we are actively pursuing is ensuring that each and every school has a qualified, ICT-trained teacher on site to guide both learners and staff in utilising these digital tools,” he explained.
County Director of Education Jacob Onyiego applauded the government for the initiative and called on school managers to make full use of the resources.
“We applaud the government for this timely initiative that will transform learning in our schools. I urge all heads of institutions to ensure maximum utilisation of this digital equipment so that our learners reap the full benefits of modern technology,” he said.
Concurrently, Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) Chairperson Okello David affirmed that school administrators are prepared to keep the equipment safe while pointing out the infrastructure hurdles schools face regarding storage.
“We are prepared to store and safeguard this equipment, but we are facing real challenges when it comes to adequate storage infrastructure. I am urging the Ministry of Education and our Board Chairs to collaborate and take an active part in ensuring every school establishes a secure strong room for the storage of these devices,” Okello stated.
He further reassured stakeholders that security measures were already in place to protect the valuable infrastructure from theft.
“We now have security officers handling security measures on the ground to curb any breach or attempted break-ins by thieves,” he added.
By Beryl Akinyi and Lydia Adhiambo
