Julius Migos Ogamba, minister of education (Right) and Joseph Ogutu, chairman, Safaricom Foundation, (Left) launching a newly renovated ICT Lab at Machakos Teachers Training College.

Kenyan telco Safaricom, through its charity arm, the Safaricom Foundation, is working with the government and the Vodafone Foundation to launch an ambitious $1.9 million (KES 240 million) digital skills programme.

This programme intends to achieve transfomative changes in Kenya's educational sector by providing teachers with necessary digital skills that can be integrated into their teaching methods.

The programme, which began on Wednesday, is specifically meant to increase digital literacy skills among educators at 35 teacher training institutes around the country.

The initiative is part of Safaricom Foundation’s 2023-2027 strategy which focuses on improving the schools’ infrastructure and training teachers on digital skills.

The new digital skills programme will also include renovating existing ICT facilities or constructing new ones where necessary. So far, eight colleges have already benefited from the initiative.

“This programme reflects our commitment to strengthening the digital capacity of teachers across Kenya. By providing these colleges with the necessary digital tools, we are preparing future teachers to deliver high-quality education that integrates technology,‘’ said Joseph Ogutu Safaricom Foundation chairman.