Kenya has one of the best education systems in Africa due to substantial and holistic investments by the Government to enhance teaching and learning for all stakeholders. Even as participation, quality, equity, and inclusion for learners have generally improved in Kenya, access and outcomes for rural learners, girls, learners with disabilities and other vulnerable populations continue to lag significantly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). 29 counties in Kenya are part of the ASALs which occupy over 80% of Kenya’s landmass, and are home to roughly 36% of the population, 70% of the national livestock herds, and 90% of wildlife.

According to a June 2022 World Bank brief, most counties in Kenya exceed 12 expected years of school. According to the same report, however, the expected years of schooling in ASALs are as low as 6.5 years – meaning very low learning outcomes are concentrated in a few counties in Kenya’s ASALs. Some of the key factors behind this trend include the harsh climate, lacking physical and digital infrastructure, cultural values and practices, language barriers as well as the literacy levels of parents and caregivers.

In this edition of EdTech Mondays Kenya, we explored opportunities to improve equity and inclusion in education for learners in the ASALs with a focus on North and North Eastern (N/NE) counties which include Wajir, Marsabit, Garissa, Mandera and Isiolo, Lamu, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir, and West Pokot. At the same time, we discussed how technology-enabled education can be used to help close these gaps.

Our panelists were Benta Grace Otsyeno, the Training Coordinator at Impact(Ed) International, Virginia Ngindiru, the Director of Programs at Zizi Afrique, and Noel Cheboryot, the Senior ICT Officer at National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK).