Jubilee's laptops project still on course

A few days ago, the Ministry of Education convened a stakeholders meeting to deliberate on the proposals contained in a draft bill developed and prepared by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.

It was reported that the bill which seeks to abolish the 8-4-4 system was unanimously adopted. Top education officials announced that the system would be replaced with the digital literacy programme. It is not in doubt that ICT is now driving the world economy. Kenya cannot afford to be left behind.

In this meeting, the officials further announced that the rolling out of long-awaited Standard One laptop project to all public primary schools will commence in January next year.

Notably, this was one of the key pre-election pledges made by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, ahead of the 2013 poll. They promised to roll out the project in 100 days or within the first one year if elected. The Jubilee duo were willing to walk the talk but the Opposition placed all manners of hurdles in their way to ensure that they do not succeed.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know that the CORD leadership is hell-bent on sabotaging Jubilee and ensuring the ruling coalition does not succeed in fulfilling its development agenda. CORD's strategy is to campaign under the banner of "failed projects" to demonstrate that the Jubilee duo cannot be entrusted with leadership and ask Kenyans to reject them in 2017 polls.

The President has lived up to his promise of ensuring that public schools are connected to electricity and this is a key milestone that would facilitate the rolling out of the laptops project. Let us stop opposing anything the government does just because we have a right to.