President Willam Ruto Sunday, December 11 said coding will be part of the school curriculum going forward.
Ruto said by teaching learners problem-solving skills early, through coding, they are better prepared for the world.
He said the learners will also be empowered and given tools to express themselves.
“We need to know how to grow our technology from primary school. You have heard about coding that is now going to be part of our curriculum to ensure technology becomes part of our journey from primary school all the way to university,” Ruto said.
Ruto said whether one is a software developer, a customer success manager, a designer, a marketer, all these careers require technical skills.
He made the remarks at KICC on Sunday during the Jamhuri Tech and Innovation Summit.
“We are developing relevant policies that will nurture and stimulate innovation in Kenya and this is in appreciation that innovation has the power to accelerate productivity, generate gainful employment and create wealth for millions of ordinary people,” said Ruto.
Kenyan telco, Safaricom, has partnered with Kodris Africa, an online publishing company, to promote coding education by purchasing annual lessons via the M-PESA app.
This means Kodris Africa’s customers can buy tokens for a year’s worth of coding lessons via the M-PESA platform and then activate them on a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer for their children to learn to code.
In April 2022, the Kenyan government approved a new syllabus for teaching coding in primary and secondary schools through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Kodris Africa is an online publishing company that teaches learners 21st-century skills like creative problem-solving and algorithmic thinking, beginning in elementary school.
The program is delivered online, and individuals can purchase licenses so that students with home computers and Internet access can participate.
The syllabus is delivered to students via an interactive online studio.
Mugumo Munene, CEO of Kodris Africa, stated that the new partnership would increase access to coding lessons in the country.
