The day was February 1, 2024, and the excitement at Naitiri S.A. Primary School in Bungoma County was palpable. The 511 pupils could not hide their joy and excitement at the sight of new classrooms about to be handed over to them. They wandered curiously through each building, eager to experience the drastic change in their school environment.

The school’s infrastructure had been in poor condition, with classrooms made of mud that were long past their expiry date and were about to collapse. Broken desks made it uncomfortable for pupils to learn and caused distractions.

The toilets for both pupils and staff were condemned, posing health risks to the highly populated school. The absence of an administration block was a source of frustration, impacting school operations and the working environment for the teachers. Furthermore, the school’s security was compromised by a missing gate and a barely functional fence.

“Morale was low among both teachers and pupils. We tried our best to give these learners an education despite the inhibitive learning conditions. We had low turnout most of the time since the resources were stretched and in poor condition,” said Mrs Margaret Nakhungu, the headteacher at the school.

The school in Tongaren Constituency was established in 2011 to provide education to pupils from mainly humble backgrounds.

It serves a large population of farmers and small-scale traders and due to financial constraints, they had come together to put up the classrooms using mud.

The M-PESA Foundation funded the transformation of the institution, which cost KSh25 million.

The money went into the construction of eight classrooms, an Early Childhood Development Education Centre, an administration block, two ablution blocks and constructing and equipping a kitchen. They also built a gate and installed a perimeter fence, along with eight tanks for the school’s water supply.

The transformation is a boon not only for the school itself but also for the community, as more children can now enrol to learn. The new structures are spacious and well-ventilated. The classrooms are furnished with lockers and chairs, which will improve learning conditions, according to the headteacher.

Pupils will have individual desks, which will reduce congestion and create a more organised learning environment. The new administration block, furnished with tables, chairs, shelves, and lockers, will greatly enhance the teaching experience.

Michael Joseph, Chairman of the M-PESA Foundation, sits in one of the newly built desks.

“The newly installed gate and fence will control movement in and out of the school. Our security, as well as school property, was long overdue,” said Mrs. Nakhungu.

The construction project at Naitiri S.A. Primary School was made possible through an education programme by the M-PESA Foundation named Citizens of the Future.

The programme aims at improving access to quality education for learners in Kenya through improving learning infrastructure and spaces in all 47 counties. The initiative aims to reach three million learners, focusing on improving the education outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and enhancing the employability of young people through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Infrastructure support is a key pillar in enabling access to education as part of the programme, said John Ohaga, a Trustee of the M-PESA Foundation.

“We are moving across the 47 counties identifying schools such as these and then trying to impact the lives of students,” said Mr Ohaga during the handover event at Naitiri S.A Primary School.

The programme will see the construction or renovation of infrastructure in primary and secondary schools as well as TVET centres. The schools will be equipped with ICT equipment to facilitate blended learning, which will involve digital skills.

The renovations at the school did not happen in isolation. Last year, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Moses Wetangula, engaged Safaricom on how to improve learning conditions at the school. He was concerned that the school could not accommodate learners under the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and sought the Foundation’s intervention.  The Foundation embraces strategic partnerships to create opportunities in education, health and integrated livelihoods for communities in all 47 counties.

Trustee of the M-PESA Foundation John Ohaga during the hand-over ceremony. Behind him is the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Moses Wetangula, (centre) Michael Joseph, Chairman of the M-PESA Foundation, Karen Basiye, Director, Sustainable Business and Social Impact, and (far right) is President William Ruto.

The school is not the only one to receive the M-PESA Foundation’s support through Citizens of the Future. Other schools include Naitiri R.C. Primary School in Bungoma County, Gamoi Primary School in Vihiga County, Kanyamfwa Primary School in Homa Bay County, Chorwa Primary School in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Mumbi Primary School in Nyandarua County, and Kamagut Primary School, which is notable for being President Dr William Ruto’s former school in Uasin Gishu County. Since last year, the Foundation has invested more than KSh 200 million in infrastructure projects in these schools.

The Citizens of the Future programme also comprises the M-PESA Foundation Academy, which enrols underprivileged children from all 47 counties, and the Keeping Girls in School Programme, which distributes sanitary towels to girls to promote their learning. These are ongoing education initiatives at the Foundation and have already impacted more than one million learners.

The Foundation will soon introduce a scholarship programme for secondary school learners in all 47 counties as well as a model TVET programme as it seeks to expand education opportunities.