NAIROBI — The Kenyan government has allocated Sh3.39 billion for the construction of 9,000 junior secondary school classrooms across the country’s 290 constituencies, announced Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu. The initiative is part of a broader effort to accommodate the first cohort of Grade 9 students under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) scheduled for next year.
According to Kenya News Agency, the funds will be distributed among Members of Parliament, who are tasked with matching these funds through their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to ensure the classrooms are completed by the end of the year. Additionally, the national government plans to secure financing for an additional 6,000 classrooms, bringing the total to 15,000. Mr. Machogu discussed these plans during his appearance at Kangaru School in Embu for the Gala Phase of the 62nd Edition of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival.
The festival, which featured 23,000 students from various educational levels, showcased artistic pieces including mimes, comedies, cultural and modern dances, and plays, alongside documentary and feature films. This year marked the first participation of junior secondary students, increasing the festival’s attendees from 15,000 the previous year. Mr. Machogu highlighted the importance of the performing arts in the CBC curriculum and noted ongoing discussions with East African Community partners to potentially organize a regional arts festival to foster cultural integration.
Prof. Christopher J. Odhiambo, chair of the festival, mentioned that enhancements have been made in the training of drama teachers to improve production quality and ensure equity across regions. Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, CEO of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), added that the institute successfully broadcast the entire festival on its Edu Channel and had uploaded last year’s festival content on social media platforms, generating revenue and promoting cultural content.