Principal Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs, Aurelia Chepkirui Rono, handed over new digital learning equipment to Bomet Primary School as part of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) requirement.
The exercise in collaboration with the ICT Authority forms part of the government’s Digital Literacy Programme rollout, which seeks to integrate technology into classroom teaching and learning while preparing learners for an increasingly digital world.
Speaking during the event, Rono said the initiative was part of President William Ruto’s commitment to extend digital learning to public schools across the country, noting that technology would improve efficiency in teaching and create opportunities for learners to develop essential digital skills.
She explained that the interactive smartboards and teacher laptops issued during the event were designed to support the delivery of lessons under CBE, particularly in junior schools, saying that the government would help distribute the equipment to all public schools in the country.
In the new technology, the laptops power the smartboards, enabling teachers to present learning materials to entire classrooms in a more interactive manner, thus boosting the quality of education being offered to pupils.
The PS clarified that the technology was intended to complement teachers rather than replace them, adding that the devices could support classroom learning even without an internet connection.
Rono further noted that the initiative was being implemented through the ICT Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP), with support from the World Bank.
She said the rollout and installation of the equipment had commenced in Bomet County, with suppliers expected to visit individual schools as implementation progresses.
She urged teachers to take responsibility for the equipment, ensure it was properly registered and secured, and assign ICT-trained teachers to oversee its use.
The PS added that the devices carried a one-year warranty and were registered on the DigiSchool platform. She advised schools to contact the County ICT Officer for technical assistance whenever challenges arose.
Rono also challenged teachers and public servants to embrace emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), warning that workers needed to keep pace with technological developments to remain relevant in a rapidly changing employment environment.
The Director of the ICT Authority said the programme was intended to ensure that learners across the country accessed comparable standards of education regardless of their location. He reported that the distribution exercise was targeting 257 institutions, with 193 having been reached so far.
Bomet County Director of Education, Leonard Ngugi, welcomed the initiative, saying the new technology would transform curriculum delivery and strengthen the implementation of CBE.
He described digital literacy as an important component of modern education and called on the ICT Authority to continue training teachers to ensure they could effectively use the equipment.
Ngugi said the new gadgets had already motivated the school community and expressed appreciation for the expansion of digital access to more learning institutions.
He thanked the PS for her continued visits to Bomet County and commended the efforts being made to improve education. He noted that learners were fortunate to have access to modern technology, expressing optimism that the initiative would contribute to improved school performance.
The digital learning initiative is part of the government’s broader agenda to modernise education, bridge the digital divide and equip young people with the skills needed to participate in the digital economy.
Through the provision of digital devices, teacher training and learning resources, the programme seeks to make classroom instruction more engaging and accessible while supporting the effective delivery of the competency-based curriculum.
The PS urged school administrators, teachers and the wider community to safeguard the equipment, emphasising that its security and proper use were a shared responsibility.
She reiterated that investment in quality education and digital literacy was essential to preparing learners for future opportunities and advancing Kenya’s ambition of becoming a technologically competitive nation.
By Linet Chepkemoi
