KEMI, EIDU Launch Three-Year Teacher Training Partnership

Heads of institutions and teachers across Kenya are set to benefit from enhanced training in digital learning tools, learner assessment and real-time education data following a three-year partnership between the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) and education programmes implementer EIDU.

The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on November 2, 2026, at KEMI headquarters in Nairobi, seeks to strengthen school leadership and improve literacy and numeracy outcomes by integrating digital learning and assessment tools into national training programmes.

The agreement will target heads of institutions, deputy heads, education managers and Boards of Management, equipping them with skills to support effective teaching, monitor learner progress and make informed decisions using education data.

The collaboration comes as Kenya continues implementing Competency-Based Education (CBE), which places greater emphasis on practical skills, continuous assessment and learner-centred instruction.

The 2023 Report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform called on the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to prioritise teacher retooling to align classroom instruction with the requirements of the new curriculum.

Under the agreement, KEMI will take the lead in coordinating and implementing the partnership in line with its national mandate. The institute will provide trainers and facilitators to jointly develop and deliver training programmes, make its training facilities available and leverage its nationwide network of school heads.

KEMI will also facilitate the endorsement or accreditation of programmes developed through the collaboration.

On its part, EIDU will provide technical support, curriculum-aligned digital learning content, access to its learning platforms and data systems, as well as training for KEMI facilitators under jointly agreed work plans.

The two institutions will also collaborate in developing training programmes, sharing resources within the law and monitoring and evaluating the impact of their activities.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, KEMI Chief Executive Officer Dr. Maurice Odondo said the partnership would address gaps in foundational education by strengthening the capacity of school leaders and teachers responsible for shaping learning outcomes.

“As we speak today, the foundational level of education in this country has not received full attention. Working together, we will be able to address that gap, so that learners move to upper primary and finally to senior school well grounded,” Dr. Odondo said.

He emphasised the importance of effective school leadership in improving education standards, noting that well-prepared institutional heads play a critical role in ensuring that teaching and learning activities are properly coordinated.

“When the school leader is well prepared, all other issues fall properly in place,” he added.

Dr. Odondo further called for stronger collaboration among education sector stakeholders, saying collective efforts and joint programme development would help accelerate reforms.

“When we pull together and co-create, we will be able to transform this sector in a more meaningful way,” he said.

EIDU Managing Director Fredrick Seda said the partnership would help translate practical lessons from classrooms into national training programmes targeting education leaders.

“Every day we see what becomes possible when a teacher has the right tools and timely data on each child. KEMI reaches the leaders of every school in this country. By working alongside KEMI, we can help make sure those lessons reach the head teacher in a rural school as much as one in the city,” Seda said.

EIDU’s digital learning programme currently reaches approximately 790,000 learners in 12,700 public schools across 32 counties through partnerships with county governments and the Ministry of Education.

The programme’s impact has also been highlighted in an independent randomised controlled trial conducted in Kenyan pre-primary classrooms and published in the peer-reviewed journal Research Papers in Education in 2026.

The study found that learners using EIDU’s programme achieved learning gains equivalent to approximately six additional months of learning within a single school year.

To ensure effective implementation, the partnership will be overseen by a Joint Steering Committee chaired by the KEMI Chief Executive Officer and the EIDU Managing Director.

The committee will be responsible for developing annual work plans, monitoring implementation and assessing progress, with a mid-term review scheduled after 18 months.

The MOU took effect on November 2, 2026, and will remain in force for three years, ending in November 2029.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen the capacity of education leaders to use digital technology, learner performance data and evidence-based approaches in improving teaching and learning across Kenyan schools.