Schools face AI shift after new government partnership with Dariu Foundation

Kenya has stepped up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence learning into youth development programmes following the signing of a 24-month partnership between The President’s Award–Kenya (PA-K) and The Dariu Foundation (TDF).

The agreement will embed the Dariu Tech Club initiative within PA-K centres across selected regions, marking a structured rollout aimed at equipping young people with applied AI and digital skills.

The signing ceremony brought together senior stakeholders from government and education, including PA-K Chairman Board of Trustees Paul Mbatha, PA-K CEO Margaret Kiogora, Board Trustee Eugene Masombo, and representatives from key institutions such as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, and Kenya Vision 2030.

Also present were Geoffrey Etyang, representing the CEO of the Teachers Service Commission, and Dr. Joseph Katam, representing the Principal Secretary, State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy.

Vision 2030 was represented by Dr. Emmanuel Nzai, Chairperson of the Vision 2030 delivery framework. Kilifi County Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa also attended.

PA-K CEO Margaret Kiogora said the partnership strengthens the organisation’s mission of preparing young people through life skills and leadership development beyond the classroom.

“The President’s Award has one core job, to take care of people through non-formal education and skills that can enable them face the world we are in right now,” she said.

She added that the collaboration with The Dariu Foundation marks a new step in expanding digital readiness among learners across the country.

“We look forward to a journey with The Dariu Foundation,” she said.

The Dariu Foundation is led by founder and chairman Thomas Trüb, a Swiss entrepreneur and education innovator with decades of experience in international development, media, and technology-driven learning programmes across Africa and Asia.

The foundation’s Kenya representative, George Jilani, said the initiative is focused on expanding opportunity through skills development.

“Opportunity is what we are here to redistribute,” he said, adding that young people should not remain spectators in the AI era but active participants in shaping it.

The programme will run over 24 months, beginning with a 12-month pilot phase starting June 1, 2026. It will be implemented across 60 PA-K licensed award centres in Nairobi, Central, and Eastern regions.

Sixty Award Leaders and Heads of Institutions will be trained, alongside 60 experienced PA-K volunteers who will serve as master trainers within the system.

The pilot is expected to reach more than 6,000 learners, who will engage in applied AI literacy and community-based innovation projects aimed at solving local challenges.

Stakeholders linked the initiative to national priorities under Kenya Vision 2030 and the government’s youth empowerment agenda, noting that structured partnerships between public institutions and development actors are key to expanding access to emerging technology skills.

The programme is expected to strengthen Kenya’s position in preparing young people for a rapidly evolving digital and AI-driven economy.