The Digital Literacy Programme established with the objective to introduce e-learning in Kenyan schools is ready to conduct a pilot programme that will encompass 150 primary schools.

This is considered to be a significant milestone for the Programme, a flagship project for the Jubilee government, that was established to provide laptops to standard one pupils in order to stimulate e-learning.

A statement from the country's ICT Ministry said: "The consortium of Moi University and JP SA Couto emerged the winner in two of the three lots which covers 26 counties whereas that of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Positivo BGH was awarded one lot covering 21 counties."

These two consortiums have now been given the green light to supply gadgets to the 150 schools evenly spread in the 47 counties. They also become the first two consortiums cleared to conduct the laptop project beyond the pilot phase.

The latest developments have been lauded as a major step forward after the project was halted in 2014 as a result of procurement irregularities involving Olive Telecom.

The ministry of education through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has already released part of the e learning curriculum for pupils and this will be tested in the pilot.

The government also announced that 66,000 teachers have been trained and refresher training is expected in the next few weeks.