(PHOTOS) Uhuru arrives at Westlands Primary for a virtual visit with PM Boris

President Uhuru Kenyatta has arrived at Westlands Primary School in Nairobi County for a joint virtual tour of the institution.

He is to conduct the tour with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who will also be at a primary school in England on Thursday.

The visit is part of the Global Partnership for Education, an initiative through which Kenya and the UK aim to raise $5 billion needed to help 175 million children from 87 low-income countries get quality schooling.

Uhuru who is in Westlands Primary School in Nairobi will talk with Johnson who is in Cleves Cross Primary School in Ferryhill, England. 

The visits will provide the two leaders an opportunity to directly engage with pupils, aged between nine and 11 years.

"...and create a high profile moment for championing education for all, with a special focus on technology and girls’ education,” a statement from State House read.

The two schools are part of the Connecting Classrooms Through Global Learning.

The program provides opportunities for pupils to engage peers across countries on global issues such as climate action and gender equality.

The joint visit, also attended by the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, and Education CS George Magoha, comes two months ahead of Kenya and the UK co-chairing the Global Education Summit to raise money for education across the world.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said supporting girls to get 12 years of quality education is one of the smartest investments the two countries can make as the world recovers from Covid-19.

“Across the world there is a vast untapped resource – girls whose education has been cut short or denied altogether, who could be leading efforts to pull their communities out of poverty," he said.

“I’m going to be working throughout the UK’s G7 presidency to ensure leaders investing those girls and boost children’s life chances around the world."

Speaking following the virtual event, High Commissioner Jane Marriott said she was delighted to see children back at school today, so happy and enthusiastic to learn.

"It was also a privilege to witness our two leaders as part of a live classroom link-up. The Global Education Summit we are jointly hosting will make sure all young people have the opportunity to learn," she said.

"I congratulate government, school leadership, teachers, students and all partners for the great work you are doing to make sure every child gets quality education.”

The event comes as the UK announces Sh8.3 billion for a new programme to drive crucial research into education reforms, turbocharging efforts to get girls into school and learning.

The What Works Hub for Global Education will advise governments across Africa and Asia – including Kenya – on the most impactful and cost-effective ways to reform school systems and get girls learning.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented global learning crisis, with 1.6 billion children out of education around the world at the height of school closures.

Last month, Both Johnson and Uhuru urged world leaders to invest in getting children into school and build back better from coronavirus.

The Government of UK said in a statement that Prime Minister Boris telephoned Uhuru and the two also discussed the shared challenge of tackling coronavirus and opportunities for collaboration between the UK and Kenya on identifying new variants.