Digital Learning Takes Center Stage At Kakamega International Investment Conference

The inaugural Kakamega International Investment Conference (KAIICO) from March 19th to 22nd at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology witnessed overwhelming commendation for digital education from leaders across the nation, who reiterated its pivotal role in shaping the future of Kenya’s education.

The endorsement was led by President Dr. Ruto, who acknowledged the significance of digital education in transforming the country’s education landscape. Other leaders, including the Prime Cabinet H.E. Musalia Mudadvadi, Speaker of the Senate the Rt Hon Amason Kingi, Governors, deputy governors, county first ladies, county ministers of education, and multiple educators echoed these sentiments.

During the conference, President Dr. Ruto visited the EIDU booth, where he saw first-hand the operation of its digital learning program, already under implementation in 10 counties and reaching 250,000 learners and 10,000 teachers in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).

“We believe that by the end of this year, we will have partnered with 15-20 county governments, implementing the digital learning program in all their ECDE centers, ” said EIDU’s Managing Director, Dr. Max Donha.

He added: “We are also currently talking to the national government about the primary grade levels, which will be the next step to expand… and by the end of next year, we could be in all primary schools. The visit by H.E. the president underscored the interest of the national level even as more and more counties are approaching us about the ECDE levels.”

The EIDU digital learning program costs less than KSh1,000 per learner per year, with EIDU contributing KSh1.10 for each KSh1 from the government in the first year of deployment.

Dr. Ruth Agesa, the County Executive Committee member for Education in Vihiga, expressed excitement at the prospects of implementing EIDU in her county.

She said: “EIDU is taking us forward. As they are partnering with other countries in digital learning, it means that all children will be at par because they are learning from the same content.” She added, “Being the Chair of the [CECM Education Council of Governors] Caucus, I intend to sensitize my colleagues to ensure that they embrace this in their counties. In our area, we have already pushed it in the CIDP [County Integrated Development Plan], and it is just about getting the money and implementing it in all the schools in the county”.

In the design and implementation of its program, EIDU continues to partner with various institutions, including Kenya’s leading telco, Safaricom.

“The biggest opportunity I see for EIDU is partnerships. EIDU is bringing all partners together to curate learning content that is relevant to our students. With the EIDU digital learning program, a child in marginal areas can access the same educational content as a child in urban areas. So that for me, was a key takeout on the EIDU digital learning program transforming lives.” said Safaricom’s Digital Services Tribe Lead, Pauline Kieleko.

The EIDU digital learning program has so far, received an approval rating of 98% among parents and 96% among teachers. Research also shows that students under the program gain 9 months of additional learning on top of a regular school year.

EIDU provides schools with devices equipped with learning content that adapts to each learner’s pace. The content is sourced from the world’s best educational material providers, with EIDU ensuring that it aligns with the requirements of the Kenyan government’s Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), and is approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

To ensure successful delivery and continuity, county government officers are equipped with digital tools for quality assessment. This ensures that they gain access to real-time data dashboards containing key education metrics.

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