US pledges close to Sh4.2bn for Kenya’s education system

Kenya’s education sector is set to receive nearly $32 million (Sh4.2 billion) of investment from the US to support new partnerships between the two countries’ universities and industry.

This is in a bid to drive innovation, research and job growth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields in the country.

The funding announcement was made during the strategic partnership signing event in Atlanta, USA, during President William Ruto’s four-day US visit.

The US expects the deal signed on Tuesday to establish linkages, partnerships, exchange programs and other relationships for sharing and developing the STEM, advanced manufacturing, and ICT capacities of Kenyan higher education institutions.

It includes a commitment from Microsoft and the Mastercard Foundation to support the STEM education through higher education partnerships, and a commitment from US universities to partner with Kenyan institutions to build mutual capacity in related courses of study.

Part of the investment, $850,000 (Sh111.5 million), will go towards supporting the Edtech Africa initiative, a public-private partnership programme recommended by the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement (PAC-ADE) to promote STEM partnerships between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Open University of Kenya, Mastercard and Microsoft.

It further entails a $6.5 million (Sh852.4 million) new project in the country which aims to connect STEM graduates with jobs in fast-growing sectors like information and communication technology and manufacturing of textiles and pharmaceuticals.

The funding includes a new $24.5 million (Sh3.2 billion) programme on early grade literacy, to ensure that more Kenyans are prepared with the foundational skills they need to succeed in higher education.

As the United States and Kenya celebrate 60 years of bilateral relations, and recalling the positive and enduring impact of Kennedy-era assistance to help East Africans study in the US, known as the student airlift, the US  also announced the ‘Kennedy-Mboya Partnerships’ to support a new, 21st century scholarship programme focused on STEM as the field of the future.

With funding of $3.3 million (Sh432.7 million), the programme seeks to support the development and success of the next generation of Kenyan scientists, researchers and engineers.

President Ruto said he was confident the initiative will also support global security.

“Such a partnership would develop curricula closely aligned with industry requirements, equipping young people with essential skills in ICT, green technologies, renewable energy installation and sustainable construction practices,” he said.

He expressed concern over the persistent underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with a hope that the opportunities that are to come with the new partnership will act as a remedy.

The United States has a longstanding partnership with Kenya, actively supporting the country as a pioneering force and regional engine for innovation.

This new partnership in the area of STEM education, according to USAID, will prepare a generation of innovative Kenyan leaders to meet evolving market demands and advance the nation’s economic development.

USAID Counselor Clinton White signed the deal alongside Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Mudavadi.

Ruto's four days visit in the US had a full in-tray focusing on issues such as economic prosperity, trade and investment, defence cooperation, democracy and governance, multilateral and regional issues as well as health cooperation.