By Achola Mathews
Seven schools in Bunyala Sub County in Busia County have benefited from a digitization programme financed by the Central Europe Republic of Slovakia at a tune of Shs 4.2 million.
Slovakia Ambassador to Kenya H.E Mrs. Katarina Zuffa Leligdonova toured the county to formally commission the programme which is geared towards expanding digital space in the border county which links Kenya to East Africa and the Great Lakes Region.
The recipients of the pilot phase of the programme include St Joseph’s Busagwa and Makunda primary schools in Bunyala Central Ward, Budalangi Primary and Bunyala Model in Bunyala North Ward, Port Mixed Primary and Namenya Girls in Bunyala West and Rugunga Primary in Bunyala South Ward.
Each school received 15 computers, a printer and Wi-Fi installation which saw leaders and the local community praise the move as a key roadmap to digitization in Busia County.
Mrs. Leligdonova expressed pride in the manner in which pupils handled the computers.
Busia Deputy Governor H.E Moses Mulomi, who led the Slovakia Ambassador in the commissioning of the programme, said the donation is the best step towards improving Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) which will in turn improve education in learning institutions.
Chief Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ababu Namwamba said the school’s digitization programme will enable learners gain capacity and enter the space.
He exuded confidence that Busia County will take centre stage for digital knowledge once the programme is fully rolled out to other sub counties across the county.
Ababu Namwamba and Bunyala South Member of County Assembly admitted they first handled computers during their fourth year at the University.
Lydia Nabwire, the chief officer in the governor’s office in charge of ICT and Communication, said the computer donations will digitize learning in education institutions and added that it’s the way to go in this techno savvy era.
Bunyala South Member of the County Assembly Casper Ajuma said there is need to come up with a policy to roll out digitization in all learning institutions across the county to enable all pupils and students in learning institutions acquire computer skills at a tender age.
Chief Officer for Education and Vocational Training Daniel Mogoria said the computers will enhance learning.
‘It will also help Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers acquire the requisite digital knowledge.’ He said.
The IT teachers said pupils across ECDE to Standard 8 will access the rare technology acquired at such lower level of academic level.
Grace Akumu, the pupils’ president at St Joseph’s Busagwa and Catherine Makau, the pupil in charge of welfare, thanked the Slovakian Republic for the donation which they said will help them become technologically compliant.
