AI is already in Kenya’s classrooms. Is the education system ready?

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 26 — Artificial intelligence is already changing how Kenyan students learn, even as schools and universities race to determine how they should teach in an AI-enabled world. Students are using generative AI to explain difficult concepts, prepare presentations and organise assignments, while teachers are experimenting with the technology to develop lesson plans, generate quizzes and adapt explanations. The technology is forcing education institutions to reconsider not only what they teach, but how they teach it and how they determine whether students have genuinely learned.

A 2025 study involving 137 educators from thirteen Kenyan universities found that lecturers saw significant potential in generative AI but also expressed concerns about academic dishonesty, data privacy, accuracy and over-reliance on the technology. Educators identified literature searches, summarising academic material, preparing teaching resources and generating ideas among the areas where AI could be useful. The debate comes as Kenya expands digital access in schools.

The Ministry of Education said in July that 10,382 laptops and an equal number of interactive smart boards were being distributed to Junior Schools across the 47 counties under the Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project. The programme followed training for more than 62,000 teachers on ICT integration. A UNICEF-supported programme aimed at connecting 1,000 public primary schools to reliable internet had connected 363 schools by December 2025, reaching more than 277,000 learners.

More than 4,400 teachers had begun integrating digital tools into classroom instruction. The disparity means the question is no longer simply whether AI should enter Kenyan classrooms, but who will have meaningful access to it and whether teachers are equipped to use it responsibly. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has cautioned that technology should complement rather than replace teachers.

“Digital technology in schools should not be an end in itself, but a means to an end,” Azoulay said, adding that “no screen can replace a teacher.” Her warning is particularly relevant in Kenya, where access to devices, connectivity and digitally trained teachers remains uneven. The assessment problem Perhaps the biggest disruption caused by generative AI will not be inside the classroom, but in how learning is assessed.