The government has renewed its free laptop project with plans to expand the program to institutions of higher learning.
While addressing the media on Thursday, January 6, in Bungoma County, Education Principal Secretary for University Education and Research, Amb Simon Nabukwesi disclosed that students joining university will get free laptops in the new proposal.
In his address, Nabukwesi stated that the mode of teaching at the university was changing, therefore, the need for students to get laptops.
The diplomat added that the proposal was making good progress even as the term of the Jubilee administration comes to an end in eight months.
“When you go to university, you will find that teaching right now is on the virtual platform. That is why as the State Department for University Education we have proposed that the government buys a laptop for every first-year student and that is in the process.
“If you are not exposed to computer and you don't understand computer, it will be very difficult because some universities use more of the elibrary than the physical library,” Nabukwesi stated.
Additionally, the PS stated that the project would be timely as many students were missing out on scholarship opportunities because they lack computer literacy skills.
He gave an example of Bungoma County where only one student applied for the Commonwealth Scholarship Program that was advertised by the Ministry.
"When we get scholarships from friendly nations and they are very many on our website and we go to process those who have applied because the process is online, you get that only one person from Bungoma applied for the Commonwealth program.
"Even when you apply for jobs right now, they will ask for a certificate to show that you are computer literate," he stated.
The revelation of the Nabukwesi is a replica of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s promise in 2013 when he promised free laptops for Grade One students.
However, the project was not rolled out during the better part of his first term as the government opted to purchase tablets for the students.
At the time, the project received criticism from both the political class and education stakeholders who stated that the government should have prioritised building computer laboratories in school.
