Nairobi Form Four Candidates Receive Exam Preparation Support from NGOs

In a major boost for digital literacy among young Kenyans, a partnership between UNESCO Kenya and CODEMAO launched free coding lessons across selected Nairobi schools on 3 July 2025. During the launch event held at the Tribe Hotel, the organisations rolled out tablets and training kits to 20 schools, enabling Form One and Form Two students to begin interactive lessons in Python, JavaScript and app-development. The initiative aims to close the digital-skills gap and empower learners with the tools to build applications, games and websites—paving the way for informed technology users and creators.
The move comes as Kenya accelerates efforts to embed coding and computer-science fundamentals into its education framework under the Competency‑Based Curriculum (CBC). Beyond supplying devices, the programme includes teacher professional development, peer-mentoring clubs and annual competitions to apply newly-acquired coding skills. Officials emphasised that this phase would also link select students to a study tour in China, giving Nairobi youth an international exposure seldom available locally. They pointed out that in many urban schools, access to coding education has been inconsistent, and this partnership fills a critical gap in Nairobi’s digital learning ecosystem.
Reactions from students and educators have been overwhelmingly positive. One Nairobi secondary school teacher remarked that, This changes the game for our students—coding moves from being an optional club activity to an essential skill. Parents welcomed the initiative, noting that children who previously had limited exposure to programming now stand a chance to compete in tech spaces. However, education analysts cautioned that infrastructure challenges—such as inconsistent internet access and device maintenance costs—must be addressed to avoid widening the divide between well-resourced and under-resourced schools.
Looking ahead, the initiative plans to scale to 40 more schools in Nairobi by early 2026, and eventually integrate coding lessons into mainstream school timetables. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks are being developed to track student progress, participation in hackathons and transitions into university and tech careers. If successfully implemented and supported, Nairobi’s youth could become at the forefront of Kenya’s digital economy—equipped not only with knowledge but with the confidence to innovate and create