Efforts to equip learners in Homa Bay with digital skills face a fresh challenge following a wave of school break-ins targeting computers and other electronic learning devices.
Education officials have raised the alarm over the theft of digital literacy equipment from six schools.
They warned that the incidents could deprive learners of valuable opportunities to access modern learning resources.
Homa Bay Sub-County Director of Education Ziada Osano said the stolen gadgets were critical to preparing learners for a world increasingly driven by information technology.
She spoke on Saturday during the launch of the Kenya Digital Acceleration Project for Homa Bay County at Homa Comprehensive School, where she called on communities to help protect the equipment.
“These gadgets are instrumental in equipping learners with crucial information technology skills,” Ms Osano said.
She warned that the thefts were undermining efforts to expand access to digital education at a time when schools were receiving new equipment under the government-backed programme.
Over 400 schools receive digital learning equipment
Homa Bay County has already received smart boards and laptops for 421 institutions under the first phase of the initiative, with more equipment expected to reach additional schools.
“We anticipate to receive another 366 smart boards and laptops for the next set of schools,” Ms Osano said.
The equipment is expected to expose learners to digital content from across the world while enabling them to interact with teachers beyond the confines of their classrooms.
However, the thefts threaten to reverse some of these gains, with Omolo Agar School in Rachuonyo North Sub-County losing all 45 computers donated by Safaricom.
DCI investigates theft of school computers
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched efforts to recover the stolen gadgets, including laptops, tablets and projectors.
DCI Commander Jimmy Kisobo said investigators were working to establish the whereabouts of the equipment, including the possibility that some devices had been smuggled out of the country.
Police are using serial numbers to identify stolen devices and enlisting internet service providers to help trace them when they connect to the internet.
“If they are being used here and they are connected to the internet, there is no way we can fail to at least trace them,” Mr Kisobo said.
He noted that investigators had not received feedback from the tracing efforts, adding that the inability to locate the devices locally suggested that some might have been taken outside Kenya.
Communities urged to safeguard school equipment
Ms Osano said protecting the equipment required cooperation between schools, parents, community members and security agencies.
“Schools cannot be safe without support from the public,” she said.
She urged residents to report suspicious activities and help safeguard school property to ensure learners continued benefiting from the digital education programme.
“The government has spent a lot of money to install these devices. We only want to call upon our stakeholders to ensure the security and safety of the devices for posterity,” she said.
Osano added that the security team was pursuing the matter and expressed hope that those behind the break-ins would be arrested and held accountable.
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