Kenya has launched a Huawei-supported digital classroom in a Nairobi informal settlement, in a push to expand digital access and skills among underserved communities and strengthen its knowledge-based economy.
The facility, unveiled on Tuesday during the Connected Africa Summit 2026, is located in the Mukuru housing complex and is designed to improve digital literacy among children and young people through improved connectivity and access to modern learning tools.
The project is part of a public-private partnership involving the government, telecom operators and technology firms aimed at narrowing Kenya’s digital divide.
The initiative was developed with support from Huawei, which provided connectivity infrastructure in collaboration with Safaricom, East Africa’s largest telecom operator.
Officials said the digital classroom is equipped with 20 laptops, fibre internet connectivity, WiFi 7 access points, CCTV surveillance systems and a smart interactive board designed to enhance teaching and learning.
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The smart board, known as IdeaHub, allows teachers to deliver multimedia lessons, support collaborative learning and introduce students to early coding and digital skills.
Kenya’s Information, Communications and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau said the initiative aligns with government efforts to expand internet access and promote a digital economy that can create jobs for young people.
He said bridging the digital gap was essential to building a competitive workforce capable of participating in the global knowledge economy.
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The Mukuru Digital Classroom is located in one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where access to reliable internet and digital learning resources has traditionally been limited.
Authorities say the project is intended as a model for scaling similar digital learning centres in other underserved areas across the country.
Freshina Morogo, ICT manager at Huawei Kenya, said the company’s support for smart learning environments is aimed at promoting digital inclusion and helping students acquire market-relevant skills from an early age.
She said exposure to digital tools such as coding platforms and interactive learning systems would help prepare learners for future employment opportunities in the technology sector.
The initiative comes as Kenya continues to position itself as a regional technology hub, with growing investment in digital infrastructure, fintech and innovation ecosystems.
Government officials say improving digital literacy is a key pillar of the country’s long-term economic strategy, particularly as demand rises for technology-driven services across sectors such as finance, agriculture and education.
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However, challenges remain, including unequal access to devices, affordability of internet services and gaps in teacher training for digital education.
Despite these constraints, policymakers and private sector partners say public-private collaborations can play a critical role in expanding access to technology and reducing inequality in education outcomes.
The Mukuru project is expected to serve as a pilot for future digital classrooms aimed at integrating underserved communities into Kenya’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Kenya has spent the past decade positioning itself as one of Africa’s leading digital economies, driven by widespread mobile money adoption, expanding broadband infrastructure and a growing technology sector centered in Nairobi.
However, this digital progress has not been evenly distributed. Large urban informal settlements such as Mukuru continue to face limited access to reliable internet, affordable devices and modern learning facilities. This has created a persistent digital divide between connected urban centres and underserved communities.
To address this gap, the government has increasingly leaned on public-private partnerships to expand digital infrastructure and skills training. The launch of the Mukuru Digital Classroom reflects this approach, combining state policy priorities with private sector investment and technical support.
The initiative also aligns with Kenya’s broader development agenda, which aims to transition the country toward a knowledge-based economy by improving digital literacy and preparing young people for jobs in the technology sector. Education reforms have placed growing emphasis on coding, digital tools and ICT-based learning as core skills for future employment.
Technology companies have played a central role in this transformation. Firms such as Huawei and Safaricom have been involved in building connectivity infrastructure, smart classrooms and innovation hubs across the country, often as part of corporate social responsibility programmes or broader digital expansion strategies.
At the policy level, Kenya’s government has identified universal connectivity and digital skills development as key pillars of economic growth. This includes efforts to expand fibre networks, reduce internet costs and integrate ICT into the education system from an early stage.
The Mukuru project is part of a wider trend in Africa, where governments are experimenting with “smart classrooms” and digital learning centres to bridge inequality in education access. These initiatives are often concentrated in urban low-income areas and rural communities where infrastructure gaps are most severe.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain. Many schools still lack sufficient devices, trained teachers and stable electricity or internet connectivity. In addition, affordability remains a barrier for many households, limiting sustained access to digital tools outside school environments.
The Connected Africa Summit, where the Mukuru classroom was launched, has become a key platform for discussing digital transformation across the continent. It brings together policymakers, telecom operators and technology companies to explore ways of accelerating connectivity and digital inclusion.
In this context, Kenya’s digital classroom initiative is both a symbolic and practical step toward narrowing the digital divide. It reflects a broader recognition that access to technology is increasingly essential for education, economic opportunity and participation in the modern economy.
If scaled successfully, such projects could help integrate more young people into Kenya’s fast-growing digital ecosystem and strengthen the country’s position as a regional technology hub.
