The multi-billion class one laptop project that was a flagship campaign promise by President Uhuru Kenyatta has collapsed.
This has been confirmed by the Ministry of Education which has termed the project as unworkable. Instead, the government had announced that it will now shift focus to building of computer laboratories in primary schools.
According to the Permanent Secretary for education Belio Kipsang, each primary school will get a computer laboratory.
“There has been a policy change in programme from one child-one laptop to the construction of computer laboratories for ICT integration,” Dr. Kipsang told National Assembly’s Education Committee while presenting budgetary proposals.
From the start, the project was highly criticized for being unrealistic. During its rollout in May 2016 the policy shifted from laptops to tablets because of the high costs involved.
Currently, various government reports indicate that the project has failed and teachers are not prepared.
For example, the Daily Nation reports that a Ministry of Education report in December returned a shocking verdict on the multibillion-shilling project as it found that national implementation stands at a paltry five percent. “While supply and installation in schools stands at approximately 95 percent nationally, implementation ails at five percent in terms of utilisation of the equipment,” the report which was prepared by former acting Moi University Vice Chancellor Laban Ayiro reads.
