NAIROBI – The M-Pesa Foundation, Safaricom's philanthropic arm, on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, launched a landmark Sh30 billion education initiative designed to significantly enhance teacher training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and upgrade school infrastructure across Kenya over the next five years. The programme, titled 'Citizens of the Future', will target over 600 institutions and provide more than 10,000 scholarships to students in secondary and tertiary education.

This initiative represents one of the largest private-sector interventions in Kenya's education sector, aiming to address critical gaps in digital literacy that hinder the country's economic development. Speaking at the launch, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa stated the programme consolidates the company's various educational efforts into a single, strategic framework. "We have developed education interventions that seek to bridge the gap through innovation and material support," Ndegwa said. "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."

Addressing the Digital Deficit

The programme arrives at a critical time for Kenya's education system. Despite the government allocating Sh628.6 billion to the sector in the 2023/24 financial year, challenges persist, including inadequate ICT infrastructure, a shortage of digitally skilled teachers, and a significant digital divide between urban and rural schools. These issues directly impact the country's ability to prepare learners for a digital-first global economy. The 'Citizens of the Future' initiative will directly tackle these problems by developing model institutions, dubbed "Schools of the Future," which will feature modern, sustainable infrastructure and integrated technology, with a special emphasis on inclusivity for learners with special needs.

The focus on enhancing teachers' ICT skills is a core component of the strategy. Research indicates that many Kenyan teachers lack the necessary training for effective digital literacy instruction, a problem compounded by insufficient technical support and resources in schools. This initiative aims to equip educators with the skills needed to navigate a dynamic educational landscape and effectively implement the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which heavily emphasizes digital literacy.

A Collaborative National Effort

The M-Pesa Foundation's programme is designed to complement government efforts. M-Pesa Foundation Chairman Nicholas Ng'ang'a noted the project's transformative ambition. "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," Ng'ang'a stated. The initiative is also aligned with Kenya's Vision 2030 development blueprint, which prioritizes education and technology.

The programme will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and county governments, signaling a collaborative approach to addressing systemic educational challenges. M-Pesa Foundation Trustee Michael Joseph highlighted the timing of the launch, which coincides with Safaricom's 25th anniversary. "Our objective under 'Citizens of the Future' 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," Joseph said.

To ensure broad community participation, the foundation has invited the public to nominate deserving schools for upgrades via a dedicated website, citizenofthefuture.org, with the nomination period running until 30 November 2025. This public involvement aims to ensure that the investment reaches the most deserving institutions across all 47 counties. The initiative builds on the over Sh29 billion previously invested by Safaricom and its foundations in education, which has impacted more than four million learners.