MAL682025 The Dearth In Modern Marketing | Seite 93

challenges that hindered the successful implementation of Jubilee’ s laptops plan in Kenya. An example in Baringo County found that devices were stored unused in cupboards because classrooms lacked a suitable environment( dust, lack of desks, etc.).

Financial Constraints

The cost of procuring, maintaining, and replacing devices is high. Rural schools often have smaller budgets, and basic needs( textbooks, teacher pay, buildings) take priority.

Training teachers in ICT and AI tools, paying for reliable internet, licensing software, or paying for upkeep are recurring costs. Many rural schools simply cannot sustain these costs.

Samuel Mutisya Muinde & Dr. Patrick Mbataru in their article titled, Determinants of implementation of public sector projects in Kenya: A case of laptop project in public primary schools in Kangundo Sub-County, Machakos County examined the determinants influencing the implementation of public sector projects in Kenya, focusing on the laptop project in public primary schools within Kangundo Sub-County, Machakos County. In the Laptop project, studies( e. g. in Kangundo) identified financial constraints in procurement, support, and maintenance as key determinants of poor implementation.

Lack of Digital Literacy and Training

In Business Daily Africa article titled Kenya’ s schools ill-equipped for digital skills training, Kabui Mwangi discusses how Kenya’ s schools lack sufficient resources and infrastructure to effectively provide digital skills training to students. Many teachers, especially in rural or sub-county schools, have not received sufficient training in digital literacy or how to integrate ICT or AI into pedagogy. The Usawa Agenda / KNBS survey showed only about 24.6 % of secondary teachers having had any digital literacy training.

Even when devices are present, effective use is hampered by lack of teachers who are confident and skilled enough to use them, to integrate content, troubleshoot technical issues, or adapt lessons using AI-driven tools. Teachers have minimal or no training in integrating the devices in lesson plans; their experience is largely traditional(“ chalk and talk”). If teacher training workshops are oneday, generic, and not tied to follow-up, they may forget or never gain confidence to use the technology.

Digital literacy gaps also affect students: limited exposure to computers at home, or lack of familiarity with basic digital skills, reduces how effectively students can use AI tools.

Equity and Access Gaps

Rural students are often excluded from AI in education simply by not having the physical or digital access that urban schools enjoy.

Geographic disparities: certain counties( especially remote arid or marginalized areas) have far lower internet usage, device ownership, and ICT infrastructure. For example, counties such as Turkana, West Pokot, Marsabit have very low percentages of internet usage compared to say Nairobi and Kiambu.

Gender and socio-economic inequalities often intersect: girls in rural areas may have less access to mobile phones or devices; poorer households cannot afford internet or data; marginalized communities may lack local language or culturally relevant content.

Possible Solutions

To ensure rural schools also benefit from AI in education, several interventions can help:

Strengthening Infrastructure

Improve broadband access in rural counties through public-private partnerships; Ensure reliable electricity through hybrid solutions( solar panels + batteries), backup generators where feasible; Invest in durable, robust devices appropriate for rural environments( dust, power fluctuations etc.).

Affordable and Appropriate Technology Models

Teacher Training & Digital Literacy Programs

Invest more in targeted professional development in ICT / AI pedagogies for rural teachers, including hands-on workshops; Train school management committees on ICT planning, maintenance, budgeting so that the school as institution is ready; Encourage peer support networks, mentoring, remote coaching. Policy, Funding & Governance

Ensure that funding formulas favor rural schools to cover extra costs of connectivity, maintenance, and support; Monitor implementation, ensuring accountability, oversight to avoid procurement delays, and corruption; Incorporate AI readiness into national education policy- set standards for minimum infrastructure, power, teacher training.

The challenges of bringing AI and technology to rural schools are complex and multifaceted, but they are not insurmountable. Between 2012 and 2022, Kenya has made important advances in embedding technology in education, especially through the Digital Literacy Programme and the rise of AI-enabled EdTech startups such as M-Shule, BRCK Education( Kio Kit), and Shule. AI. These initiatives have shown real promise: improving engagement, increasing access, and providing personalized learning pathways.

Yet, for many rural schools the promise remains only partially fulfilled. Infrastructure deficits( electricity, internet, maintenance), lack of training, and funding constraints continue to limit the real-world usage of devices and AI tools in these schools. The urban-rural divide remains strong.

To bridge it, investments must go beyond hardware: into reliable infrastructure, teacher capacity, maintenance, adaptive technologies suited for low-resource settings, and policies that focus on equity.

Only by addressing these foundational challenges can Kenya turn its many“ Digi-schools” into institutions that truly harness AI and technology for learning, ensuring that every child, regardless of location, has the chance to flourish in an increasingly digital world.

Christine Nyandat is a seasoned insurance professional. You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail on: Nyandatc @ yahoo. com.