National Strategy Embraces AI Transformation

The Kenyan government is formally integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its national education system, a move designed to prepare millions of students for a technology-driven global economy. This initiative is a core component of the Kenya National AI Strategy (2025-2030), which was officially launched on March 27, 2025, positioning education as a priority sector for technological adoption. According to the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, the strategy aims to make Kenya a regional leader in AI research and innovation. A substantial budget of KES 152 billion has been allocated for the implementation, which includes establishing 1,450 digital innovation hubs and expanding the national broadband network to support AI-ready data centers.

The policy framework, developed in partnership with the European Union, is intended to guide the structured introduction of AI tools, including generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, into the curriculum. This aligns with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which emphasizes digital literacy, problem-solving, and practical skills from an early age. AI is expected to support the CBC by enabling personalized learning platforms that adapt to individual student paces, automating assessments to provide instant feedback, and freeing up teachers to focus on mentorship and complex cognitive skills.

The Stark Reality of the Digital Divide

Despite the ambitious national vision, the successful implementation of AI in Kenyan classrooms faces the formidable obstacle of a deep-seated digital divide. A 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey, conducted jointly by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), reveals stark disparities in digital access. Internet penetration in urban areas stands at 56.5%, more than double the 25.0% in rural areas. The gap in computer usage is even more pronounced, with 20.9% of the urban population using computers compared to just 7.3% in rural communities. Some counties, such as West Pokot and Turkana, have internet usage rates as low as 9.1% and 12.7%, respectively, while Nairobi leads at 64.7%.

This infrastructural gap threatens to widen existing educational inequalities, creating a two-tier system where learners in urban centers benefit from AI-driven education while their rural counterparts are left further behind. The government's strategy acknowledges these risks, committing to place marginalized groups at the center of its AI future and ensure that innovation addresses the needs of all citizens. However, a detailed public plan from the Ministry of Education specifically outlining how it will bridge this rural-urban gap in the context of the AI rollout remains to be fully articulated. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.

Teacher Preparedness and Student Adoption

A critical factor for the success of AI in education is the readiness of educators. Currently, a significant skills gap exists. Research from KNBS indicates that only about 22% of teachers have received formal ICT training. A more recent study found that while teachers have a positive attitude towards AI, their confidence in implementing it is moderate, and many have a limited understanding of its application in the classroom.

To address this, several initiatives are underway. The Ministry of Education, in partnership with Intel and Simba AI, has launched an advanced training program to retool secondary school teachers, particularly for the transition of Grade 9 learners into the senior school phase of the CBC in 2026. Another key program, Young Scientists Kenya (YSK), supported by Google.org and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, has trained 170 secondary school teachers across 37 counties in its 'Experience AI' literacy program, reaching an estimated 3,400 students. YSK aims to train a total of 200 teachers by 2026, impacting approximately 9,000 learners at both primary and secondary levels.

Meanwhile, Kenyan students are already early adopters of AI technology. A 2023 survey by Chegg.org found that 63% of Kenyan post-secondary students have used generative AI for their studies—the highest rate among the 15 countries polled. The survey also revealed that 81% of these students believe their degree will be more useful in an AI-assisted workplace. However, they also have concerns, with 39% worried about receiving inaccurate information and 48% calling for human expert involvement in validating AI-generated answers.

Economic Implications for Kenya and East Africa

The push to integrate AI into education is intrinsically linked to the future of work. The World Economic Forum's 2025 Future of Jobs Report projects that AI and information processing could create 11 million new roles globally by 2030, while displacing 9 million. In Kenya, a July 2025 report by BrighterMonday estimated that up to 65% of hard skills for common jobs are automatable by AI, highlighting an urgent need for upskilling. By embedding AI literacy in the curriculum, Kenya aims to equip its youthful population—which has a median age of 19—with the skills to drive and sustain the nation's 'Silicon Savannah' tech ecosystem.

The economic implications extend to the broader East African Community (EAC). The World Bank projects that the digital economy could generate up to 1.5 million new jobs in East Africa by 2025. However, the region faces a significant skills gap, with only 5-10% of university graduates possessing the competencies required by industry. Initiatives like the East African Centre of Excellence for ICT (CENIT@EA) and support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) are focused on building regional capacity to harness AI for sustainable development. A recent KPMG report indicated that 80% of CEOs in East Africa believe strategic investments in generative AI will lead to upskilling and redeployment rather than significant job cuts, signaling a regional corporate shift towards workforce adaptation.