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The Ministry of Education has denied that the laptops project has collapsed.
CS Amina Mohamed told the Star the project is on course and that every
Grade One pupil countrywide has a tablet.
“The project has not failed. It was rolled out nationwide after the successes of the pilot. The gadgets are in use,” Amina said.
She said the digital literacy programme will be bolstered by the new competence-based curriculum.
“We are working on the content which will be uploaded to the tablets. We are not aware of any school that lacks the machines,” she said.
She added that cash was allocated and disbursed to head teachers to put up storage facilities to prevent theft of the equipment.
Each school is entitled to learners digital devices (LDDs), teacher digital devices (TDD), wireless routers (DSWR), and projectors.
Ministry data showed devices were installed in 19,565 schools out of the 21,731 run by the government.
As at March 2018, at least 989,485 LDDs, 39,130 TDDs, 19,565 DSWR, and 19,565 projectors had been installed in schools.
By then at least 2,164 schools were yet to receive the devices.
Homa Bay, Bomet, Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, West Pokot, and Turkana counties had the highest number of
Amina told the Star in an interview that uptake was low in some areas due to lack of teacher training.
The project is a Jubilee flagship project identified as priority in 2013.President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto promised that every pupil joining Class One would have a laptop.
Then it became less expensive tablets-for-pupils project.
Many schools lacked electricity and security. However, the Rural Electrification Authority in its 2017-18 report said 99 per cent of schools have been connected to the grid.
On the other hand, Knut has been crying foul that the project, which consumed has gobbled over Sh30 billion in the purchase of the tablets and accessories, may not succeed unless teachers are trained.
At the moment, there is a deafening silence on the venture amid concern by Kenyans that it has not borne the fruits for which it was initiated.
CS Amina allayed the fears saying the project is picking up well and content for the higher classes is being developed.
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