Scaling Up School Connectivity
The "Scaling Up School Connectivity in Kenya" initiative is a comprehensive project led by UNICEF's Kenya Office in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through the Giga initiative. This project focuses on delivering last mile connectivity to schools across Kenya through a strategic integration of both hard and soft infrastructure. Hard infrastructure components include physical elements such as fiber optic cables and routers that form the backbone of connectivity, while soft infrastructure encompasses educational programs, teacher training, and digital curriculum development.
The initiative has demonstrated significant learning improvements among students, with teachers reporting that connectivity has enabled more hands-on and real-world processes of exchanging information, enriching learning conversations, and making students feel more motivated and interested in attending school. The project has successfully attracted diverse funding sources, including new funding from the European Union to connect an additional 1,000 schools. As of early data, Kenya had connected 3,469 schools (14.9%) out of 23,286 total public schools, with plans to continue scaling up connectivity to reach the National Broadband Strategy goal of 100% connectivity of all schools with 10Mbps by 2030.
Pros
Integrates both hard infrastructure (physical connectivity) and soft infrastructure (digital skills, content delivery) for comprehensive implementation
Long-term agreements with internet service providers maintain service quality
Demonstrated scalability has attracted additional funding, including from the European Union
Shows significant learning improvements among students, with teachers reporting more engaged and motivated learners
Provides a sustainable model that balances technical expertise with social and cultural considerations
Cons
Geographic disparities in implementation, with challenges in reaching remote areas
Ongoing costs for maintaining connectivity may be a burden for some schools
Dependency on continued stakeholder engagement and funding
Initial capital expenditure required to connect schools to government-managed fiber backbone may be higher than private operators in some cases
Partners
UNICEF Kenya Office
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Giga initiative
Kenya's ICT Authority
Kenya's Ministry of Education
Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy
Private internet service providers (including Maruway, Poa, Telkom, Safaricom)
European Union
UNESCO
Communications Authority of Kenya
United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Kenya Power & Lighting Company
Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE)