A promising Solution for Spurring TVET Graduate Employment in Kenya

I recently had a conversation with one of the leading plumbing company executive, who revealed interesting insights on the quality of TVET graduates. Much as he seemed to appreciate the high quality of theoretical learning taking place at TVET institutions, he asserted that most graduates are experiencing significant challenges in aligning to changing labour market needs due to lack of exposure on current technologies, industry trends and requisite 21st century social and soft skills.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that the Government and TVET stakeholders have put a lot of effort to change this trajectory, in various ways, these includes; the implementation of the Competency-based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum, increased communication and advocacy on vocational training, and increased attention to Industry and academia linkages. Such legislated and established policies and initiatives are helping to address this and other gaps.

As has been documented elsewhere, Kenya is experiencing a “Youth Bulge” with over 20.1% of its population aged between 15 and 24 years. The same is reported in most sub-Saharan Africa countries with growth averaging at 19.7%, while the rest of the world is at 16.2%. Statistics also indicate that Kenyans between the ages of 15-34 years account for 84% of the unemployed population. Essentially this means, there is a high youth unemployment rate in Kenya which is bound to increase due to the prolonged economic impacts of the Covid- 19 pandemic. Despite these unemployment statistics, young people continue to leave school to join the unemployed cadre even as the potential of selfemployment through TVET is ignored.

Notably, an additional 5 million youth will be entering the labour market by 2025 making the situation dire. As such more effort is needed to improve the quality of learning in the TVETs and to smoothen the transition of graduates from to work as a strategy for increasing youth employment and economic growth.

 Dual Apprentice System The Dual Apprentice System combines apprenticeship and vocational education – where theoretical instruction in school is combined with practical training in the workplace. With defined periods for academic instruction and defined periods for workplace training. Dual apprenticeship is primarily practiced in Europe, where Germany is leading.

 According to Urban Institute, 2021, Germany in the year 2019 had 1.09 million apprentices who were trained in 327 recognized occupations. With the duration of their apprenticeship taking two and three and a half years, depending on one’s profession. For acceptance into an apprenticeship program, a student applies to their desirable employer who screens applicants and selects them. Essentially, the program in Germany begins as a training contract between an employer and an apprentice. It is similar to a work contract and serves as the legal basis for the in-company training in the Dual VET system. One key aspect of this employer apprentice relationship is that it is supported by the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The chambers in this regard provide a training contract that regulates; the duration of the training, stipulates the beginning and end of the training, the probation time, the vacations, the training content, the training salary, and termination. Other countries whose apprenticeship systems have been recognized include Finland and Switzerland.

To put it into context, the Dual Apprentice System simply means employers participating in training programs. There are several models of dual apprentice training that can be considered. There is the Block Training where there is a prescribed period for training followed by industry experience. Sandwich model where you alternate training and practical work experience within structured duration and Blended model where there is no defined time periods between training and apprenticeship. The main focus is to ensure learning and training goes hand in hand with work experience.

It is noteworthy to mention that Kenya has benefited significantly from investments promoting dual apprenticeships type of trainings, through organizations like GIZ, KfW, World Bank Kenya Youth Employment Program and Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project. However, most of these initiatives are still at the pilot stage with incredible results, laying a solid foundational block for national wide scale-up and ownership.

Wherever dual apprenticeship has taken hold it has proven benefits. The ways in which it has been beneficial include; increased employer participation in training sessions; students have been exposed to current trends, technologies and practices in the industry; there is increased exposure of training institutions to modern pedagogies; an increase in transition rates as well as supporting inclusion of youth with various diverse needs.

Adaptation of Dual apprenticeship to the Kenyan context Dual apprenticeship in Kenya is possible, mainly due to the shrinking formal sector and expanding informal sector.

Additionally, the nascent nature of the Kenyan private sector ecosystem particularly the SME base is a large incentive in itself due to the opportunities that may accrue from adopting dual apprenticeship.

Moreover, the government has made significant investments to facilitate the adoption of dual apprenticeships by providing; public work programs, TVET infrastructure development, reforms in education and training ecosystem, increased investment in large public works and infrastructure projects, increased enrollments to the TVET institutions, and increased adoption of technology especially with the emergence of the 4th industrial digital revolution.

Consequently, Kenya has the potential to leverage on dual apprenticeship to enhance TVET training and employment outcomes. This will require rethinking our approach to training, engagement of industry as well as TVET policy
and regulatory reforms. The Re-Imagined Dual Apprenticeship System – A Fit for Purpose Model for Kenya Re-imagined industry-academia linkage framework  The government of Kenya has put great effort to establish this linkage by adopting the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) at basic level, the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) at the TVET level and industry-aligned training at the university level.

Nonetheless, there is a need to re-imagine an approach that would show how the industry and academia can enhance education and youth employment outcomes. The industry-academia linkage framework needs to be re-imagined through context-specific interventions, with data-driven decisions, that will leverage on - digital technologies, appropriate national, sectoral and industryspecific policies, and putting youth voices at the center stage.

Re-imagined mindset – Trainers, trainee, industry and society
The Dual Apprenticeship System can be quickly adopted in Kenya when a whole society shared-purpose mindset is created and defined targeting trainers, trainees, industry, and society. They have to recognize the need for dual apprenticeship to promote the public good and attract public support and allocate public resources. All primary actors should be involved in revealing any gaps that can be addressed through dual apprenticeship. Benefits of a functional TVET systems permeates in every aspect and part of the society and economy.

Re-imagined role of MSMEs and SMEs
MSMEs and SMEs usually assume that only large corporations and government institutions can participate in a dual apprenticeship. Yet, MSMEs and SMEs typically find it harder than large employers to acquire the skills they need, either because they cannot attract talent from external labour markets, or because they do not have the resources to develop these skills internally through training.

SMEs constitute 98 percent of all business in Kenya, create 30 percent of the jobs annually as well as contribute 3 percent of the GDP.MSMEs contribute 40% of GDP and highest number of jobs. This points to the phenomenal potential these businesses can contribute to dual apprenticeship training system. There is a need for a framework to appreciate their role and contribution in promoting dual apprenticeship.

Re-imagined training delivery approach
A re-imagined training delivery approach is necessary for an impactful apprenticeship. A more personalized approach is essential to ensure each apprentice is well attended to, depending on their unique training needs. Due to the diverse training needs of individuals, a single standardized training method may not guarantee the success of apprenticeship programs. The staff in the training institutions and apprentices’ mentors should be trained on various training and teaching methods to allow them to adapt to the apprentice’s individual needs. Amplified role of private sector in training and quality assurance is also essential.

Re-imagined governance, collaboration and coordination of TVET programs Several stakeholder groups have a legitimate interest in the quality of TVET programs. The greatest challenge has been in the coordination and accountability of such systems. Accordingly, there needs to re-imagine how such system will be governed and coordinated in an inclusive manner.  Multi-stakeholder partnerships will allow the skill systems to be defined by the trainers, government, professional associations and by employers in collaboration with the labour market actors. This will then be implemented by TVET education and training institutions.

Re-imagined role of digital adoption in TVET interventions Several technologies are driving digital innovation through; collaboration on digital technologies, extended reality, ubiquitous computing, artificial intelligence and block chain are major ones. These technologies are enabling new modes of teaching and learning to take place both in and out of the classroom or training centers where content is delivered asynchronously and interactively.

Technology is well suited for the TVET transformational agenda. Notably, these digital technologies need to be deployed in ways that would stimulate young people’s interest in joining technical and technology courses. The idea is to help learners learn collaboratively or individually through a variety of technology enabled methodologies.

Kenya is already ahead of the curve
The uniqueness of Kenya gives it a higher potential of succeeding in dual apprenticeship. Kenya has a thriving private sector and a large base of MSMEs and SMEs. It also making promising reforms in TVET, primarily through CBET, capacity strengthening of trainers and upgrading infrastructure and equipments in TVET institutions. As mentioned earlier, Kenya also has a youth bulge which is considered a “demographic dividend” that can gain heavily
from the system.

With the increased recognition of the importance of TVETs and the shift of Kenya’s economy towards a knowledge and digital based, it is guaranteed that more young people will be willing to join TVET institutions to evade the high
unemployment rates. Yet even for those seeking employment, they will be better positioned to secure employment when they are well trained and better aligned to emerging market needs which is possible through the dual apprenticeship.

Additionally, the adoption of CBET will ensure that the dual system is implemented seamlessly, as such, communication and advocacy for this pairing needs to be articulated more, as this will go a long way to ensure that the country remains ahead of the curve.

Dr. Ehud Gachugu is the
Director Ajira Digital and Youth
Employment Program under
Kenya Private Sector Alliance
(KEPSA)

The Editor had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Benta Opande, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Women Teachers Association - KEWOTA. A warm and amiable person, her story is one of passion, bravery and resilience. “I think realizing that you’re not alone, that you are standing with millions of your sisters around the world is vital.” – Malala Yuafzai. So this quote by Yuafzai is befitting and resonates very well with her journey from the classroom to CEO, of the largest Women Association in Kenya.

Ms Benta Opande is a teacher by profession, trained at Kenya Science Teachers Training College, KSTC. A career that started 35 years ago, she remembers fondly her first posting in 1989 to Parklands Boys Secondary School, where she began by teaching Chemistry, Biology and Sports. But it is in teaching sports where her passion for inspiring people to excel and push the limits was born, and was solidified when she became the first female coach of the school hockey team.

She recalls that when she started coaching the boys, the team was performing poorly but soon after, the performance began to improve, and by the time she left, the team had gained recognition and was winning accolades in the National sports arena. It had become the team to beat.

This impressive performance enabled her to get her next posting to Buru Buru Girls High School, where in addition to Hockey, she introduced Basketball. However, sports remained pretty much extracurricular activity, with her main responsibility being teaching biology and chemistry.  

This went on for some time until her excellence in managing the Buru Buru girls’ sports department was recognized when her fellow teachers in Nairobi elected her as an executive committee member of the Nairobi Secondary Sports Association.

From Blackboard and Chalk to Advocacy
As she grew in her career in teaching, other members of the teaching fraternity who founded Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (KUPPET) had noted her passion for advocacy and in 2002, Mr. Tom Chariga, founder member of KUPPET approached her to join the union an opportunity she gladly took up because of desire to improve the plight teachers. During the subsequent election she vied for the First Assistant Treasurer where she won convincingly. She held this position for 11 years and during this time she remained the only lady in the top leadership at KUPPET.

Benta recalls her time at KUPPET as being bitter sweet. Working as the only lady amongst men made it extremely difficult for her to champion gender related issues.  She says that lobbying and marshaling support was almost impossible. However after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010, the opportunity to have gender balance arose. And she was finally able to lobby the KUPPET leadership and members to accommodate more women through affirmative.

This meant that women each of the 47 counties could now sit at the KUPPET National Governing Council and could take part in the decision-making process. She also lobbied for the creation of the position of The National Women Representative. A woman could now sit in the powerful National Executive Board. The current office bearer is Hon. Catherine Wambilianga, Women Rep, Bungoma County.

At this point she felt like she was better off at the Nairobi County office where she vied to be the Executive Secretary and won.  Upon assuming office she was able to bring on board 79 post primary schools into the organization by creating a network of school representatives and kept this numbers growing.

 But in 2012, KNUT impressed by her influence and dynamic leadership came knocking, and offered the opportunity to join their membership recruitment team as the Senior Executive Officer, in charge of recruitment. Taking this role with gusto, she grew the numbers of teachers at KNUT from 189,000 to 202,000.( Between October and December 2012) These numbers consisted mostly of post primary teachers.

Her stint at KNUT saw her begin building a network beyond Kenya.  One important link that proved to be successful was her engagements with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). By reaching out and engaging AFT she was able to get funding to develop operational manuals to support development of teachers.

Through this funding KNUT was able to come up with two manuals; the first was a strategic manual to help KNUT grow its membership numbers through empowerment of school representatives(POWER IN NUMBERS) and the other one to help train executive secretaries to understand the running of unions and leadership roles (EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES TRAINING MANUAL) KNUT soon after expanded her role to include recruitment and empowerment of ECDE teachers.  The summary pamphlet developed by her is still in use at kNUT to date.

Her dedication to KNUT did not go unnoticed and when the gender docket fell vacant she was promoted to be Executive Officer in charge of gender at KNUT. This promotion pushed her to the fore of championing women issues in the teaching profession, and after a visit to Gambia to attend a ‘women in leadership caucus for teachers’ she together with a few women in the KNUT leadership decided it was time a teachers organization for women was realised.

KEWOTA REGISTRATION:
While at the KUPPET as the Ass. National Treasurer, Benta realized that she had a lot of time at her disposal that allowed to attend to issues that affected women teachers both at the classroom level and at the union leadership. Armed with empirical evidence, a vision and passion, she approached other like-minded women and registered Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) in 2007. She got the support of SNV Netherlands and Dowatu from Ghana to assemble women teachers and share her vision how KEWOTA can help them articulate issues of gender in Kenya. From the very onset, she says that the stakes were against KEWOTA because most women were not convinced that they could succeed. They were concerned about the amount of work needed to be done and the potential obstacles.

However, she says that being consistent and focused has helped grow the Association day by day. She is humbled by how far KEWOTA has come and says that though the journey has not been smooth, she is finally happy to be steering a organization that aspires to see women teachers thrive.  The Association she says is rearing to go with many initiatives in the world, including supporting women teachers through; Financial empowerment, with support of partners providing investment advice and opportunities, career and workplace advocacy and training.

In her words “ Women can do so much if they get support and are empowered.  As an Association we appreciate all the challenges girls face especially teenage pregnancy, ability to afford sanitary towels, drop out rates being higher for girls when parents cannot afford to educate all their children, mental health issues among others. However our experience is that we have seen many women stand together to make these experiences bearable by assisting in various ways.”

KEWOTA
The Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) is a vibrant welfare society and community for female teachers in Kenya. The Association consists of female teachers employed by the TSC, privately employed female teachers, ECDE female teachers, SNE female teachers and other women in the education sector.

The leaders are so passionate about women empowerment that some of them quit top national jobs, to advocate for female teachers and find ways to enhance better living standards for female teachers, especially those with families.

What the Association does for female teachers in Kenya
KEWOTA was founded not only to lobby and advocate on behalf of women teachers but also to enhance better living standards for female teachers and their families. KEWOTA does this through:
Financial empowerment, Investment opportunities, Development projects, Career and workplace advocacy, Sponsorship for both the girl child and women teachers, donations and - Training to mention just but a few.

To enhance service delivery, KEWOTA has established regional offices in counties across the whole country. Female teachers can contact or visit our officers to join the organization, report any career-related issues or request any of the services offered by KEWOTA.

Unlike education unions which focus on pressuring governments, KEWOTA mainly focuses on directly impacting the lives of female teachers socially, career-wise and financially.

Benta reiterates that there has been a lot of misinformation out there about the critical role the organization plays on a daily basis. The gender gap in teacher leadership still glaringly remains and so all education stakeholders are invited to embrace this organization for the betterment of all teachers including men

KEWOTA being a membership driven organization has seen a lot of successes and challenges. The greatest challenge faced is in increasing membership. Out of a potential of 200,000 possible members from TSC alone, KEWOTA is shy of only 30,000 members. The organization is seeking for partnership with like-minded organization in terms of training on negotiation, advocacy and lobbying  skills. More needs to be done on creating a powerful team of school representatives.

Kewota is keen on capacity building of county representatives as peace ambassadors, paralegal officers and mental health champions.

The greatest threat to women empowerment and development is early pregnancy for our young girls. KEWOTA is addressing the matter by the developing a project called THE SEMA PROJECT( Sexuality Education and Mentorship for adolescents). KEWOTA hopes that in due course, partners will come on board to support this project whose end result will be the publishing of fliers, developing trainers and creation of awareness clubs in schools.

We sum up the Benta Opanda and KEWOTA intriguing journey and wishing her all the best as she continues to steer the KEWOTA ship “ Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa with its GDP growing steadily at 5% per annum since 2013. The biggest contributors to this growth have been agriculture, transport, storage, manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. The impressive growth rates, pre-COVID, witnessed in the hospitality, information, communication, transportation and sectors cannot also go without a mention. Yet, despite this impressive performance, skills shortages, high unemployment rates and mismatch of skills continue to plague the vitality of the economy.

However, since 2014, the Kenyan government has sought to address these challenges by various interventions. One such intervention is reforms in the TVET sub sector, targeted at addressing the skills mismatch and gaps thereof. Working with development agencies and other key stakeholder in the TVET subsector, the government purposefully set out to improve on the delivery of TVET training in the country. The “Skills Expert Project”, a skills development program initiated and supported by the Federal Government of Germany, is one is one of the pioneering programs mooted to champion the transformation of TVET training in Kenya.

Launched in late 2017, by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy, and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa (AHK), the Skills Expert Project is a vocational training program that combines learning at a TVET educational institution with learning at the work place. Referred also as the Dual VET program, this system has been the corner stone of the German education system and is the reason for its strong industrial base.

As a viable option to the competency based education and training system, (CBET), the Dual VET seeks to address the drawback of focusing exclusively on a class/school based training which has been the main learning method in Kenya. By adopting the dual program for TVET, it was envisaged that the country would succeed in improving the quality of its graduates. Such that graduates will not only be better prepared for the work place but would also possess the skills that are actually needed.

A look into Dual VET, as an alternative path to learning
The Dual vocational education and training system stands out due to the two coordinated learning approaches. Learning at the employer (company) and learning at vocational school. The way it is designed is that the bulk of learning takes place at the company; with 60-70% of the time being spent at the company versus 40-30% being spent at school. To this end, the elements of theory are learnt at school, while application and practical aspects are learnt at the work place.   

Since the start of the Skills Expert Project in 2017, tremendous progress has been attained. The AHK as the implementers in collaboration with TVET institutions and the government have worked towards adapting the German Dual system curriculum. This curriculum was reviewed by Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) and by the TVET Authority. Subsequently, KNQA accredited AHK in early 2020, as a Foreign Qualification Awarding Institution in Kenya for TVET Trainings. This means that certificates awarded by AHK Eastern Africa to trainees are now officially recognized in Kenya, and within the German system.

Overall, the central goal of the dual system is to help students attain and develop technical competencies, while nurturing their vocational aptitudes in school, so that they can meet their current and future professional challenges. In this regard, the dual system has outstanding potential to transform the private sector, reduce the unemployment within Kenya and in the long run boost and maintain overall economic growth.

Dual System in Action
For some time now, the AHK has been working in close collaboration with private sector organizations in the hospitality industry to roll out and establish the dual curriculum. Since its inception there have been some great successes and notable wins.

(i) 1st Chef Apprentice Program
The AHK, together with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, Tribe/Trademark Hotel and the German School, and in collaboration with Kibodeni College of Hospitality, rolled out the 1st Chef Apprentice Program. Through this program the first cohort of Chef Apprentices on the dual VET diploma program were trained for 3 years and completed their studies in August 2021, they sat their final examination in September. Upon successful graduation they will be awarded a double certification that includes German Level B and a Kenyan Diploma by the AHK.

The AHK together with, Movenpick Hotel, LSG Skychefs and The Nairobi Street Kitchen and in collaboration with the TVET arm of the Kenya Methodist University are scheduled to begin the 2nd Chef Apprentice Program, the intake is ongoing (October 2021). A similar program shall be rolled out in Mombasa later in the year. This will involve with Diani Beach Hotels; including Diani Sea Resort, Diani Sea Lodge, Neptune Hotels, and the Leopard Beach Hotel. This comes with a strong backing from the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers at the coast.

(iii) Other Dual Training programs in the pipeline
The AHK is preparing to introduce new dual training programs for logistics, shoe manufacturing, Pharma and Electronics. Already 24 students have attained dual training certification in Electronic Devices and Systems, after a 13 months course at the Kenya Technical Trainers College.

Lastly, AHK is also one of the key partners in the implementation of the Kenyan-German Initiative for Youth Employment, a collaborative program by the Kenyan and German governments to implement dual (Cooperative) vocational training scheme. The program has established 3 centers of excellence for Industrial Mechatronics, Automotive Mechatronics and Autobody at Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Nairobi Technical Training Institute (NTTI), Thika Technical Training Institute respectively.

Quality training for quality output
To enhance the quality of vocational training in Kenya, AHK Eastern Africa has introduced the “Training of Trainers (AdA) International” a vocational trainer qualification course. This specialized course targets in-company trainers who are responsible for planning training content and for conducting in-company vocational training programs as well to upskill vocational school teachers in pedagogy and didactics. As TVET shifts towards competency-based training, the vocational trainer qualification will assist to build the capacity of trainers in the across various TVET and work place institutions. It is noted that most trainers in the workplace already have professional and occupational experience, but lack the pedagogical competencies, essential in implementing Dual Vocational Education and Training. Thus these trainers will enable the effective and efficient transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes to trainers. The training is oriented according to the German Quality Standards AEVO.

AHK has so far conducted over 15 AdA International courses reaching 170 participants across several government agencies, training institutions, industries and organizations. Through the delivery of these train the trainer (TOT) courses, trainers have gained the adequate skillset to facilitate training in their specific companies and institutions and have a better understanding of the dual program.

The go-to TVET Experts
Due to its rich multicultural knowledge, experiences and expertise, the AHK offers TVET Consulting services while working closely with local industry stakeholders. The AHK advises on Dual Vocational Training standards, policy and practice in the region. Through its umbrella organization DIHK (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and the 79 regional chambers (IHKs) in Germany, the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa supports companies in the development of dual vocational training programs. Through information sessions on the dual vocational training concept, curriculum development and customization, dual certification with German system elements and much more.

Going beyond its direct mandated activities, AHK is also one of the founders, trustees  and  secretariat of the Permanent Working Group on TVET, a multi-stakeholder platform that promotes collaboration and provides guidance on the implementation of TVET reforms in Kenya.

If you would like to learn more about the Dual System of Vocational Education and Training (VET) please visit the AHK  website https://www.kenia.ahk.de/ or contact the team via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Within the past two decades, the proliferation of technology has changed the face of both Kenyan education and Kenyan workplaces. The ability to effectively use a computer and a smart phone has become as fundamental to a person’s academic and occupational success as reading, writing and arithmetic. These rapid changes in technology have also put the current learning and teaching system under huge pressure to adapt.

The stellar performance of learners using educational games suggests significant importance of providing children with access to computers to enable them to learn adequate computer skills and enhance their educational experience (Trotter, 1998). As computers become a staple in each home, the number of homes with digital devices has significantly increased in the last 5 years with children, between the age of 2-18, having access to them.

We have intelligent learning games currently driving the 3Rs; Reading, Writing and Arithmetic in class and at home. Learning game companies such as d-school World of Learning have revolutionized education in Kenya. The learning games have transformed learning and teaching of mathematics, reading, Science, character development and critical thinking lessons into adventures for all learners! In each of the class-based programs, students are invited to embark on a journey through the play World – a personalized 3D environment that knows and grows with your child. Along the way, students master dozens of skills based on world class educational standards.

Designed by educators and built with cutting edge interactive play technology, such games are powerful supplemental learning solutions that every classroom needs.

Key Features of such solutions include: -
• Learning curriculum designed by educators and aligned with state standards
• Classroom management system allows each teacher to organize their classroom and easily view progress by student or class.
• Personalized learning system unlocks new lands and challenges according to each student’s progress
• In-game rewards keep students motivated to continue completing lessons and practicing skills
• Ever changing world transforms with the seasons and holidays using a real-time calendar
• Compelling 3D play immerses kids in a world of adventure, play and learning
• Exportable progress reports keep teachers up to date with student progress, skill by skill
Why advocate for intelligent learning games as a game changer in education in Africa
• Focus on 21st century skills, content knowledge and expertise.

Why intelligent learning game-based solutions are critical for the Competency-Based Curriculum -CBC
1. Quality education for all learners aligned to educational standards
Most of the solutions ensure that high-quality academic assessments, accountability systems, teacher preparation and training, curriculum, and instructional materials aligned with challenging international academic standards. The above ensures that students, teachers, parents, and administrators can measure progress against common expectation for student academic achievement.

2. Closing the achievement gap
The learning system uses state-of-the-art technology to assist in closing the achievement gap between high- and low-performing children.

Individualization…Each student is unique and the personalized learning system tracks and opens new lands and challenges according to each student’s progress. The targeted learning focuses on what skills the student needs to perfect and not focus on areas already mastered.

Motivation… Motivation encourages all students to engage in learning. This program was designed with motivation as a core element of education. The immersive 3-D play makes students feel like they are inside a world of adventure that incorporates learning. Additionally, students are motivated to keep learning by earning gems and badges. There are many motivational incentives in addition to the adventures, including:
• an ever-changing world that transforms with the seasons using a real-time calendar, and
• the ability for students to make the world whatever they imagine with photos, artwork, dress up and more.

3.Improving and strengthening Accountability and Teaching
Such solutions follow basic educational pedagogy and should complement state assessment systems. In addition, the program reinforces accountability and teaching at the local level. The Classroom Management System helps teachers to organize their classroom by viewing the progress of individual students or the entire class on real-time basis.

4. Promoting School wide reforms using scientifically based instruction
Promoting school wide reform and ensuring children have access to effective, scientifically based instructional strategies and challenging academic content. All the solutions begin with research and fact finding from the experts in the field based on the latest scientific research regarding how children learn and how technology can be used to enhance and support that experience. Through research, professional writers, and beta testing, partners create products that provide supplemental support for early literacy and help ensure that teachers and students receive positive and rewarding results.

5. Parental involvement
Affording parents substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children. Activities encourage parent-child interaction. The lively adventures encourage children to talk about their play and reinforce their learning.  Such solutions are developed with input from world class teachers, education experts, and business leaders to define and illustrate the skills and knowledge students need to succeed in work, life, and citizenship, as well as the support systems necessary for 21st century learning outcomes.

Why advocate for intelligent learning games as a game changer in education in Africa
•Focus on 21st century skills, content, knowledge and expertise
• Build understanding across and among academic subjects as well as 21st century interdisciplinary themes
• Emphasize deep understanding rather than shallow knowledge
• Empowers students to own their learning
• Engage students with the real-world data, tools, and experts they will encounter in college, on the job, and in life-students learn best when actively engaged in solving meaningful problems
• Allow for multiple measures of mastery
• Support a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with effective classroom formative and summative assessments
• Emphasize useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday learning
• Require a balance of technology-enhanced, formative, and summative assessments that measure student mastery of 21st century skills
• Enable development of portfolios for student work that demonstrate mastery of 21st century skills to educators and prospective employers
• Enable a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system’s effectiveness at reaching high levels of student competency in 21st century skills
• It is affordable in the long run and cost effective

It is important to note that just like the phone has revolutionized banking, through M-Pesa in Kenya, intelligent learning games will revolutionize learning in Kenya and Africa if we all work as a team.

In a few years, we hope that every mall will have ATMs or vending machines for schools where learners can visit and download education with minimum teacher intervention. The materials must remain an adventure for them to gain the interest of learners at all levels. We are looking forward to a generation that is self-driven, risk-taking, has persistence, social skills, and a powerful sense of flow. All this is possible with an education that helps “discover, learn and excel” and keeping in mind that learning must always be fun and adventurous.

Finally, in the words of the great educationalist, Ignatia Estrada, “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach them the way they learn.”

Mariesandra Sagina is the CEO, Educational Games Publishers Association of Kenya

1. HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE SHAPED YOU INTO THE LEADER YOU ARE TODAY?
Professionally, I have been in the higher education sector for 23 years, this is my 24th year. I started as a humble Accounts Clerk and I worked my way up to become the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). At HELB, I began honing my leadership skills by leading small teams and I grew over time to manage bigger teams. I found joy inspiring my teams to meet targets and day to day challenges. As my responsibilities grew, I attended various training programs that opened my mind on how to lead and manage people. Reading widely also helped me upscale my leadership skills. And by the time I became COO I had learnt new ways to inspire and motivate my 120 members of staff, to pursue a vision that would drive the institution to achieve beyond its core mandate, which included; lending, loan recoveries and documentation.

2. YOU ARE NOW 9 MONTHS OLD AT THE HELM OF THE UNIVERSITIES FUND, HOW HAS THE TRANSITION BEEN FOR YOU?
When I joined in December 2020, the Fund had not been operationalized and was minimally resourced. I took over an institution with only one employee, who happened to be the acting CEO, the Fund occupied 3 rooms at Teleposta Towers and the budget was only 24 million. However, in 9 months I have been able to lobby and our budget has been increased from 24million to 244million. With the support of the Cabinet Secretary, the Fund was allocated more spacious offices in the NACOSTI building where we currently are. Within this same period we have managed to come up with a revised Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC). And we are currently undertaking public private participation for the university funding framework which will include university DUC, a formula for capital infrastructure funds and new performance based funding model. It is not easy to navigate the numerous challenges faced by universities with huge debts going into 60 Billion, but with the involvement of stakeholders, we believe we are up to the task. We also believe that our new strategic plan will guide the institution to make positive change in the coming 5 years.

3. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE DIFFERENTIATED UNIT COST (DUC)?
DUC is a model whereby universities are allocated budgets according to the number of students enrolled in their institutions and the type of courses they offer. The model differentiates the programs because the resources required for example to teach medicine are not the same as those required for an Arts course. Students pursuing Medicine course will take more practical courses, the equipment required is more expensive, and more professors from different specialties will be required. Therefore a student studying medicine will inevitably get more funding than one offering a social science course.

4. WHAT IS THE UNIVERSITIES FUND MANDATE?
The University Funds mandate is to advise the Cabinet Secretary on matters to do with universities funding and related policy issues. Secondly, is to develop a clear, transparent and fair methodology of allocating funds to universities. After allocating the funds, the UF is also mandated to disburse funds to both public and private universities, this includes issuing conditional grants. And also in consultation with the Chair Persons of councils of public universities, the Fund also establishes DUCs for programs offered. We also establish the minimum disciplined differentiated remuneration for universities academic staff. Another crucial role of the Fund is to mobilize and receive funds from government, donors and other stakeholders for the purpose of funding universities. Those are our key responsibilities.

5. LAST YEAR (2020), THE GOVERNMENT SLASHED FUNDING TO UNIVERSITIES BY ABOUT 25%. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED THE ROLL OUT OF THE DUC?
This has definitely been affected, because in the last financial year we were funding the DUC at 60% at an average of 170,000 per student. This has now reduced to 53.77%, so we are now funding students at an average of 154,385. Actually the funding has not been slashed, the reason you see the 6% reduction is because the number of students enrolled in the universities this past year has increased. The government increased the budget by 700,000KES but the numbers of students increased by 30,000 this is where the gap is.

6. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA?
Public universities generate income from government budget allocation and internal revenues. The main source of income is the government allocation categorized as Recurrent, based on Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) which was implemented in the 2017/18 financial year. This accounts for the largest share of university expenditure catering mainly for staff expenses, administration, learning materials and teaching. This allocation also goes towards capital funding, which includes funds for development and infrastructure, which is critical to ensure quality and relevance in university education and research. Other sources of income for public universities is internally generated funds by university departments, relevant Ministries, agencies and donors who fund universities directly, this funds are usually spent at source.

Public universities also generate revenue through tuition fees and income generating activities. This revenue amounts to approximately 5% of budget required to run the universities and includes revenue from boarding and catering charges, endowments and university support enterprises and investments. This money is also spent at source.

7. HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON FUNDING GAPS IN UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA?
Previously, public universities used to rely heavily on module II programs for their income, especially for recurrent expenditure. But when the enrolment numbers plummeted reducing the numbers to bare minimum, universities were unable to sustain their operations as before. There are several ways to remedy his situation and address recruitment gaps. Some of these solutions include reducing costs, effective use of facilities and staff, and of course increasing efficiency.

8. AS A FOLLOW UP, WHAT FUNDING STRATEGIES WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR UNIVERSITIES TO ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY?
Number one is to reduce cost. Take the case right now in public universities, non-academic staff make up 71% of the staff, ideally this ratio should be the other way round, 70% academic staff vs 30% non-academic this will enable the universities deliver their core mandate of teaching and research.

The other thing is to have specialized universities, basically centers of excellence. As we speak, most universities are competing for the same students because they are offering similar courses. Previously there was a clear niche among universities. Say for example, if someone wanted to study telecommunications or science, they went to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology (JKUAT). For agriculture one would most likely enroll at Egerton University, while those interested in a degree in Communications went to Daystar University. This is what we need to nurture so we can create globally competitive universities. Other funding strategies include commercializing research. Look at the example of Astra Zeneca; it is an Oxford university product, which is providing additional revenue to the university. We need our universities to scale up and partner with industry for such innovations. There is a lot of research that is done in Kenya, but there’s no route to market insight. Of course the challenge here is the lack of structured engagement between industry and universities.

Oftentimes, universities undertake research without consulting industry. It is important to create more synergy, where universities collaborate with companies to understand the challenges businesses are facing thereafter they can embark on research and present solutions. Collaboration between Universities Fund, Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), can support innovation and research in this country because this kind of effort is what is needed to get universities understanding what industry needs in terms of research and development for new products or to scale up. Internally universities should consider building their capacity, especially on financial management so that we have managers who are business oriented and able to keep these institutions afloat. I also propose that we have a contingency fund for universities. This fund can assist universities during difficult times. Consultancies are also a viable idea, same way we have buy Kenya build Kenya, we need to ring fence consultancies across government
institutions for example Human resources consultancies.

Tapping into alumni associations can also help universities improve their financial status. Look at (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in America for instance, the amount of funds raised by alumni over the years has supported it and assisted it grow. Most of our universities are now about 50 years old; this is now a good time for universities to reach out to their alumni, so as to create a community to support the universities and students. Universities should also take advantage of public private partnerships (PPP). As Universities Fund we are already positioning ourselves to facilitate that synergy between the public, private sector
and universities.

Lastly I would like to talk about collaboration with County governments. Universities in the counties actually support most county economies. Universities even sustain some towns economically, so much so that it was evident when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. After the closure of all education institutions, some towns came almost to a complete stand still. It would be prudent to have counties also support universities. My proposal is that county governments need to support universities for example easing some requirements for infrastructure development by lowering levies. This will allow universities afford to acquire more and even enable them build houses for staff and students.

9. WHAT OTHER WAYS WILL THE UNIVERSITIES FUND SUPPORT UNIVERSITIES?
UF will not only provide institutional support but will also provide special targeted grants for capacity building, innovation and research. The DUC model is undergoing enhancement to address some of the financing challenges. As the country works towards improving social economic status, UF will lobby for the allocation of a percentage of the budget to promote national priority areas for universities that align with these priorities. Another area we are keenly looking at is the 100% transition directive by the government, which means that all children have a right to education; these include those with special needs. UF therefore proposes that the Government set aside 5% of the development budget to support special needs. Masters and Doctorate scholarships are also an area of interest because of the role they play in developing teacher and research capacity in universities. For this one the UF is considering funding of postgraduate programs at 80% of the unit cost where the beneficiaries can be bonded to a university for a prescribed period.

10. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION DATA MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY IN ENROLLMENT NUMBERS?
Yes, definitely, this is a key challenge. Currently, we do not have a centralized data management system. We need a publicly accountable system that is transparent and can confirm; the students admitted, when they entered, when they left or completed or if they have ever completed and from this we can establish transition rates. This will help us start funding universities based on their transition rates, i.e, how many students graduated during a certain year, if their national priority programs, how many students are in that program. The data collected will not only promote public access to information relating to the sector but it will also enable the Fund plan strategically for projects and improve the management of the disbursed fund. In addition it will enhance public accountability and transparency, self-improvement, and encourage performance-based funding.

11. WHAT ARE YOUR PARTING WORDS!
I will be brief. We want to ensure that in the next 2 to 3 years universities start turning around and there’s sustainable financing for universities in this country in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 4, that is our key role, sustainability.

Geoffrey Monari is the Chief Executive
Officer, Universities Fund