National Assembly Committee on Education Chairperson Julius Melly has emphasized the urgent need to expand internet access to remote schools across the country.

As Kenya’s education system moves toward a digital future, Melly called on the government to leverage existing internet service providers to bridge connectivity gaps, particularly in underserved regions such as North Eastern Kenya and Turkana.

Speaking at the 2024 Kenya Primary School Head Teachers Association (Kepsha) National Annual General Meeting and Conference in Mombasa, Melly said the government has a keen interest in the digital economy and there are several laws guiding ICT and digital education.

“We also have a policy on how to have digital learning programs in schools where we really need to take internet across all schools in the republic so that learning can reach far distance areas where there are no physical schools and even at times IT savvy teachers are not there.  We can take IT learning in all areas like North Eastern, Turkana and all the parts of the republic where ICT and internet is an issue,” the Chair said.

Live streaming

While noting that the Teachers Service Commission is now undertaking live streaming, he said there is a need for every teacher to be techno-savvy so that they can run all their operations through tech.

“The government now needs to put a lot of resources on IT Infrastructure across the school networks in Primary school, junior school and secondary school. Invest in both capital infrastructure and human resource infrastructure and soft infrastructure to make sure our schools are well developed for the future,” Melly said in Mombasa.

On Monday Kepsha Chairman Johnson Nzioka made a rallying call to the government to bridge the digital divide in education as Kenya gears up for a tech-driven future to ensure that no child is left behind in the shift toward digital learning.

“Not all schools and learners have equal access to technology. Addressing this inequality requires a dedicated commitment to equitable resource distribution,” Nzioka stated, urging government leaders to ensure that digital tools and internet connectivity reach every corner of the country.