Safaricom launches a Sh30 billion education transformation plan
PS Prof Julius Bitok (left) and Safaricom PLC Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Ndegwa during the launch of Citizens of the Future at Movenpick Hotel, Nairobi on October 30, 2025. Courtesy photo
Safaricom, through the M-PESA Foundation, has launched a Sh30 billion education transformation programme aimed at redefining learning in Kenya over the next five years.
The initiative, dubbed “Citizens of the Future,” will modernise more than 600 schools and training institutions, offer over 10,000 scholarships, and provide digital skills training for teachers.
It is being hailed as one of the most ambitious private-sector education initiatives in Kenya’s history.
Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Dr Peter Ndegwa said the programme merges the company’s education interventions into a unified framework that prioritises access, innovation, and equity.
“We are bridging the education gap through innovation and material support. Under Citizens of the Future, we are investing Sh30 billion over five years to ease access to education from early learning to technical and vocational training,” said Mr Ndegwa.
The plan will establish ‘Schools of the Future’--model institutions designed for inclusivity, sustainability, and digital integration, especially benefiting learners with special needs.
M-PESA Foundation Chairman Nicholas Ng'ang'a said the initiative seeks to transform, not just support, Kenya’s education system.
“We owe our learners and teachers an enhanced experience. In a world driven by digital advancement, the traditional classroom is evolving. We are going beyond supplementing education to transforming it,” he said.
Safaricom Trustee Michael Joseph noted that the launch coincides with the company’s 25th anniversary, symbolising its continued investment in Kenya’s social development.
“Our goal is to have model institutions in every region — schools that promote academic excellence while moulding future-ready learners through digital integration,” he said.
Presiding over the launch at Movenpick Hotel, Nairobi, Principal Secretary for Basic Education Prof Julius Bitok praised the initiative as a key driver in transforming Kenya’s education landscape.
“We are transforming Kenya’s education landscape through strategic investments, innovation, and strong partnerships to guarantee every learner access to quality and inclusive education,” said Prof Bitok.
He noted that the programme complements the government’s ongoing reforms — including the recruitment of 100,000 new teachers, expansion of classrooms and laboratories, and rollout of digital learning through distribution of over 1.2 million devices and training of 90,000 teachers under the Digital Literacy Programme.
Education remains one of Kenya’s largest public investments, accounting for Sh628.6 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, about 20.7 per cent of national revenue and 4.7 per cent of GDP.
However, challenges such as underfunding and inadequate teaching resources persist.
Over the years, Safaricom and the M-PESA Foundation have invested more than Sh29 billion in education, directly impacting over four million learners across the country.
Kenyans can now nominate deserving schools for support through www.citizenofthefuture.org .
Shortlisted institutions are set to receive infrastructure upgrades, teacher training, and student scholarships.
“Together we are nurturing a generation of confident, skilled and responsible citizens ready to drive Kenya’s social and economic transformation,” Prof Bitok said.
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