The Computer Society of Kenya

Since 1986

DIGITDAILY NATION By OKUTTAH MARK,

Friday December 04,2015

Six leading local universities and four information technology firms have been shortlisted for the supply, installation and commissioning of the digital learning solution for the 22,000 public primary schools.

University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenyatta, Moi, Strathmore and Dedan Kimathi universities are in the short-list alongside IT firms Symphony Technologies, Smoothtel and Data Solutions Ltd, Hewlett Packard and Lenovo.

Multimedia and Masinde Muliro universities, were the only higher learning institutions that failed to make the short-list, that also saw big names such as Oracle and Huawei fail to secure their place in the lucrative bid. The four were among 25 companies that had expressed their interest in the tender.

The 10 shortlisted companies have 42 days to submit their bids after which a maximum of three successful bidders will be shortlisted to undertake a Proof of Concept on the programme.

The overall winner(s) will be expected to supply, install and commission the digital learning devices first to 150 selected schools in the 47 counties.

“The model of delivering the devices to schools has also shifted from national level to the counties which will be clustered. We are not going to just supply the devices and leave them there but instead we will also ensure that everything is up and running,” The ICT Authority said in statement.

The first cluster of counties, which the authority did not name, will get the devices from January.

The authority added all the 22,000 public primary schools must be equipped with the devices within two years, according to the new plan. The cost of the first phase of the project is estimated at Sh17 billion and will deliver 1.2 million devices to cover all public primary schools.

Winning firm (s) will be expected to supply Teacher Digital Device, Learner Digital Device, Special Needs Education Learner Digital Device, server and routers as well as projectors.

President Uhuru Kenyatta in May changed the strategy for the schools laptop project complete with a name change to “Digital Literacy Programme”, aiming to revamp its mode of delivery.

The programme aims to integrate the use of digital technologies in learning targeting public primary schools.

The decision is borne out of the vision and context that technology now defines our world and there is need to prepare our young people for today’s realities.

The project is governed through a three tier framework. This consists of an oversight, inter-ministerial and a technical implementation committees.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has developed interactive digital content for Standard One to Three, while 61,000 primary school teachers have been trained in readiness for the project.

The government, through Rural Electrification Authority plans to connect all the 22,175 public primary schools to the national grid by this month.

Involvement of the higher institutions of learning comes after the Treasury announced a tax exemption on imported computer parts.

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