M-Pesa Foundation in Sh30b programme to boost skilling of teachers in ICT

Safaricom, through the M-Pesa Foundation, has launched an education initiative to improve education and training outcomes over the next five years.

Dubbed Citizens of the Future, the programme seeks to upgrade infrastructure, enhance teacher skilling in ICT across over 600 institutions, and award scholarships to over 10,000 students in senior secondary and tertiary institutions over the next five years.

“We have developed education interventions that seek to bridge the gap through innovation and material support. Under the Citizens of the Future Programme, we are consolidating our initiatives to ease access to education from early learning to technical and vocational training in an initial investment of about Sh30 billion in the next five years,” said Safaricom Chief Executive Peter Ndegwa.

The programme will involve the development of model institutions reflective of “Schools of the Future” that will signify future learning, with modern infrastructure that is built sustainably, integrated with technology and with an emphasis on inclusivity for learners with special needs. In the financial year 2023/24, the education sector received an allocation of Sh628.6 billion, accounting for 20.7 per cent of national revenue and 4.7 per cent of the GDP, positioning Kenya well above the Unesco minimum threshold of four, but below 15-20 per cent of total public expenditure.

“In a world that is increasingly driven by digital advancements, the traditional classroom setting is evolving into something far more dynamic. We are going beyond supplementing education to transforming it,” said M-Pesa Foundation Chairman Nicholas Ng'ang'a.

 The adoption of technology in education will not only enrich the educational landscape but also enable learners and teachers to navigate a world that demands adaptability.

 “Our objective is to enable every region to have a model institution that not only trains for academic excellence, but also moulds future-ready learners through digital integration,” said M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Michael Joseph.