Education in Kilifi County has received a major boost following the rollout of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) training initiative targeting teachers and learners, including those in remote parts of the county.
The training initiative, Experience AI, spearheaded by TechKids Africa in partnership with education stakeholders, is equipping teachers with digital skills and practical knowledge on the use of AI tools to enhance teaching and learning in schools.
Teachers from different parts of the county, including remote areas such as Ganze, Rabai and parts of Mtwapa, have been introduced to emerging AI technologies that support lesson planning, teaching, research and personalised learning.
Speaking during the training, Paul Akwabi said the initiative is part of broader efforts to promote digital transformation in education and support competency-based learning through technology integration.
Akwabi said the Kilifi training is part of a wider national rollout expected to reach more teachers and learners in different counties as the initiative scales up towards a target of 400,000 learners.
“According to the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education, digital literacy is among the core competencies. This is part of ICT integration that the government wants teachers to be capacitated in so they can deliver learning in the best way possible,” he said.
He noted that empowering educators with AI skills is key to preparing learners for a technology-driven future and ensuring schools in remote areas are not left behind in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Teachers who participated in the training applauded the programme, saying it has opened up new opportunities for improving teaching and learning experiences while preparing students for a digital future.
“Through Experience AI coming to Kilifi, we have learnt a lot about how we can apply AI in class, which will really help us in handling our lessons. We have learnt about machine learning, computer vision and other concepts,” said Jerome Kevin, a teacher from Kajiwe Junior School.
Kevin added that although many schools in remote areas lack adequate infrastructure such as computers, parents can support learners using smartphones, which are more readily available, to access digital learning opportunities.
His colleague Zawadi Masha said understanding and using AI is a game changer that is building teachers’ confidence and revolutionizing learning experiences by making complex tasks much simpler.
“For the first time, I have come to fully understand AI, and it has really boosted my confidence as a teacher because I can now go and teach my students about AI. This will help me perform my duties better,” she said.
Kilifi County Government Spokesperson Jonathan Mativo disclosed that AI education reach in schools has been a major challenge in AI utilization, lauding the TechKids Africa for supporting digital learning in the county.
“AI is not new but creating the use case has been the biggest challenge but we are excited that now the county has a partner who can help ensuring that AI gets to our learners” he said.
Officials from the Teachers Service Commission who attended the launch described the initiative as timely, noting that digital skills are becoming essential in modern classrooms and among learners preparing for future careers.
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