KENAPCO Chairperson Dr. Ekrah Ndungu Calls for AI Education and Vocational Skills to Transform Kenya and Africa on International Day of Education 2026
Dr. Ndungu noted that Kenya stands at a critical crossroads. With a youthful population where over seventy percent of citizens are under the age of 35, the country faces both a challenge of unemployment and an opportunity for innovation. She underscored that education is not simply about acquiring knowledge but is a tool for dignity, opportunity, and legacy. According to Dr. Ndungu, Kenya’s Vision 2030 rightly places education and training at the center of efforts to transform the country into a newly industrializing, middle-income nation.
She emphasized that Technical and Vocational Education and Training, commonly known as TVET, is essential for equipping young people with practical, hands-on skills that can drive growth in sectors such as construction, healthcare, information and communication technology, and renewable energy. At the same time, Dr. Ndungu called for greater investment in digital literacy, ensuring that Kenyan learners are prepared for a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, robotics, and data science. She said that AI education must not be treated as a tool for profit alone, but as a means to solve local problems, enhance creativity, and amplify human potential.
Speaking within a broader African context, Dr. Ndungu linked Kenya’s educational goals to the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a continent powered by innovation and inclusive growth. She called for a youth-driven skills revolution that harnesses Africa’s demographic dividend while restoring dignity to work and promoting pan-African mobility of skilled artisans and technicians. According to her, vocational education must be recognized as honorable and economically empowering, providing pathways for young people to thrive without being confined to traditional employment roles.
Dr. Ndungu highlighted the powerful intersection of AI and TVET, describing a future where technology and practical skills work together to transform livelihoods. She painted a vision of a Kenyan mechanic using AI diagnostics to repair vehicles more efficiently, a farmer applying AI-driven soil analysis to increase productivity, and artisans scaling their craft through digital platforms to reach wider markets. For her, this is where dignity meets technology and legacy meets opportunity.
In her address, Dr. Ndungu urged governments, private institutions, and educators to ensure that AI and vocational education are accessible to all learners, whether in rural or urban areas, so that no child, artisan, or innovator is left behind. She stressed the importance of teaching AI ethically and humanely, emphasizing justice, inclusion, and local problem-solving, while ensuring that vocational graduates are equipped with entrepreneurial skills to create businesses and not just seek employment.
Closing her keynote, Dr. Ndungu reflected on the broader meaning of education. “Education is not just about classrooms; it is about destiny,” she said. “If we align AI education with vocational dignity, Kenya will achieve Vision 2030, and Africa will realize Agenda 2063. Together, we can raise a generation that is not only employable, but impactful; not only skilled, but visionary; not only successful, but aligned with purpose.”
Dr. Ndungu’s address resonated with the audience as a call to action, emphasizing that the future of Africa depends on innovative education, ethical technology, and the restoration of dignity to vocational work. Her message underscored the transformative potential of combining AI education and vocational skills, setting a clear roadmap for Kenya and the continent to achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development.
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