The government effectively commenced procuring, distributing, and installing mobile laboratories in Junior High Schools (JSS), bowing to pressure from teachers and other stakeholders.
This follows the adoption of the idea that was first mooted by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) in November 2022 as a strategy to avert the laboratory crisis in JSS and ensure effective learning.
KNUT's Executive Secretary, Nairobi Chapter Macharia Mugwe, had, in November 2022, proposed to the government to fund the production of the mobile labs in schools, arguing that they were cheap but effective.
To avert the crisis, the government contracted the School Equipment Production Unit (SEPU) that developed the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) lab equipment for use in secondary schools.
Each mobile lab costs Ksh200,000, and with schools needing around eight, the total cost rises to Ksh1.6 million per institution.
Features of the Mobile Lab
The white wooden mobile laboratory is kitted out with a 13kg gas cylinder stored at the bottom chamber with a set of drawers and cabinets on its sides.
Furthermore, it features a black acid-proof sink in the middle, draining into a small plastic tank at the bottom.
It is also equipped with fire extinguishers and four stools, a power socket with supply cables and an illumination lamp for lighting.
The lab can also use both electricity and solar power.
According to SEPU's chief executive, Joel Mabonga, the mobile lab is equipped with four lockable caster wheels, effectively ensuring the safety of the students during practicals.
“The only thing they need to do is fill the tank with clean water,” Mabonga indicated.
KNUT had indicated to the Presidential Working Party on CBC that the mobile lab can be used in experiments for subjects ranging from Form 1 to Form 4 and Grades Seven, Eight and Nine.
